Chinese premier underlines peaceful settlement of boundary issues with India

Chinese Premier Li Keqiang on Thursday called on China and India to continue negotiations to seek a peaceful settlement of boundary issues.

Li made the remarks while meeting with India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval in Beijing, who attended the 19th round of talks between Chinese and Indian special representatives on boundary issues on Wednesday.

According to a press release from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, both sides agreed to adhere to negotiations to settle the boundary question. They will make efforts to reach a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution.

China and India have been seeking a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution on the border issue through a special representative mechanism established in 2003.

Li said the mechanism has played a constructive role in deepening mutual trust and expanding common ground.

Before a solution is found, Li said China and India should properly manage their differences and work together to safeguard peace and tranquility in the border area, which will stabilize the expectation for bilateral economic and trade cooperation.

China and India, as the two largest emerging economies in the world, should value and maintain the sound momentum of the development in bilateral relations, he said.

He called on the two sides to strengthen pragmatic cooperation as well as coordination in international and regional affairs, and send a positive signal to the world that China and India will work hand in hand to safeguard peace and stability and promote common development.

Doval, for his part, said India-China relations have scored positive progress.

The two countries face tough challenges in developing economies and share huge opportunities for cooperation, he said.

India is willing to enhance high-level exchanges with China, deepen bilateral economic and security cooperation and properly deal with boundary issues, so as to ensure greater development of bilateral ties, said Doval.

Meng Jianzhu, China's top official in charge of political and legal affairs, also met with Doval on Thursday.

Meng, head of the Commission for Political and Legal Affairs of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, called for mutual support from the two sides on issues concerning each other's core interests and major concern.

He said the two sides should strengthen law-enforcement cooperation on fighting terrorism, separatism, cross-border crime and cybercrimes.

Doval said India is ready to beef up law-enforcement cooperation with China to safeguard security and stability in both countries and the region. Endi