India, China to hold talks to discuss new border agreement

Ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit next month, a key Sino-Indian group on border affairs will hold its fourth meeting here tomorrow against the backdrop of several incursions by Chinese troops along the Line of Actual Control.    

The two-day meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on China-India Border Affairs is expected to discuss the proposed Border Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA), aimed at more comprehensively dealing with tensions related to patrolling by both sides along the LAC.

The BDCA agreement is expected to be signed during Prime Minister Singh's visit here next month.

The mechanism, headed by Foreign Ministry officials of both countries, was helpful in dealing with tensions arising from the presence of Chinese PLA troops at Depsang valley in Ladakh region this year. The impasse was subsequently resolved when the PLA troops withdrew.

Ahead of the meeting, China praised the contribution of the mechanism, saying it played a "positive role" in enhancing cooperation and understanding between the border-related departments and the timely treatment of sensitive issues and stabilisation of border situation.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei said on September 26 that the mechanism could be leveraged to resolve the vexed boundary dispute.

"China is ready to work with India to leverage this working mechanism to truly uphold the long term peace and tranquillity in border areas so as to create a sound atmosphere for the final settlement of the boundary question and the sound and stable development of bilateral relations," he said.

Tensions are on the rise as India has stepped up infrastructure development along the nearly 4,000-km boundary, building more roads and setting up watch towers.

India and China have held 16 rounds of Special Representatives' talks to resolve the boundary dispute so far.    Skipping any reference to BDCA, Hong said during the meeting of the mechanism here the two sides will have an in-depth exchange of views on the border situation.