India-China agree to seek 'political settlement' of boundary issue: MEA

India on Tuesday conveyed to China the importance of maintaining peace and tranquility along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) for overall bilateral ties as National Security Advisor Ajit Doval held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi focusing on delimitation of the frontier and sustaining work on trans-boundary cooperation. In New Delhi, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Doval and Wang had “candid and in-depth” exchange of views on the India-China boundary question and agreed to continue their work in seeking a “political settlement” of the issue in the context of “overall and long-term interests”.
During the 25th round of the Special Representatives Talks on the India-China Boundary Question in Beijing on Tuesday, the two sides expressed satisfaction at the steady resumption of people-to-people and cross-border exchanges, including the ongoing Kailash Manasarovar Yatra and border trade through the three designated trading passes. Doval, India’s Special Representative on the India-China Boundary Question, is in Beijing at the invitation of Wang Yi, China’s Special Representative on the boundary question.
“The Indian side highlighted the importance of maintaining peace and tranquility in the India-China border areas for the continued development and progress of the bilateral relationship,” the statement said. “Under the strategic guidance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping, and in a constructive and forward-looking spirit, the two Special Representatives had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on the India-China boundary question and agreed to continue their work in seeking a political settlement of the boundary question in the context of their overall and long-term interests,” the MEA said.
The Indian embassy in Beijing said the two sides “positively reviewed” the ongoing momentum in bilateral relations in line with the vision of PM Modi and President Xi. "They discussed ways to further expand bilateral cooperation, maintain stability and ensure peace and tranquility in the border areas, and make progress on boundary delimitation, while sustaining the ongoing work on transboundary cooperation," it said.
In his remarks at the meeting, Doval said that normalcy in the ties has been a direct result of both sides maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas. “The normalcy we have witnessed in our relationship has been a direct result of both sides maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas,” he said.
In his remarks, Wang said the China-India relationship has gone beyond the bilateral scope and taken on global and strategic significance. “It is important for us to step up communication, to enhance mutual trust, to remove disturbances and overcome obstacles. We need to be good friends that enjoy good neighbourliness and be good partners that contribute to each other’s success,” he said. Wang also talked about adding new impetus to the ties during the talks with Doval.Wang also said the two sides have stayed in regular communication through diplomatic and military channels on boundary affairs, implementing the guidance of PM Modi and President Xi.