Thaindian News

By Naveen Kapoor

Sanya, Apr 13 (ANI): India and China on Wednesday reached an agreement in principle on establishing a working mechanism for consultation and coordination on border affairs.

“Mechanism will handle important border affairs maintaining peace and tranquility, it will also explore cooperation in the border areas,” said National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon:

India already has in place peace and tranquility agreement on borders and special representative have already several rounds of discussion on the border issue. However, this new cooperation would also include under its ambit border trade, exchanges of mails and issues like people travelling along these borders.

The agreement was reached during the meeting between Indian Prime Minister Dr.Manmohan Singh and Chinese President Hu Jintao at Sanya, the coastal town of China, where two leaders met on the eve of third BRIC summit.

This idea of border cooperation was floated during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao’s visit to India in December last year.

Singh-Jintao also formally launched year of India China exchange in 2011 here.

Under the ambit of this new exchange programme, there will be series of exchanges between India and China, which includes visits by senior political leaders, holding of strategic economic dialogue, bilateral official consultations, defence exchanges and people to people contacts.

The contentious issue of stapled visa did no come up during the 50-minute discussion between the two leaders.

Dr. Singh also raised the issue of trade imbalance and spoke of taking the relationship between India and China to a new level.

According to Menon: ” Prime Minister emphasized on cross investment and urged China for providing better market access to India exports particularly in the IT, in pharmaceuticals, agro products and in engineering sector.”

The Prime Minister also invited Chinese President to visit India, which he formally accepted. The dates of the visit will be finalized through diplomatic channels.

India and China also agreed to upgrade defence exchanges.

Shivshankar Menon told reporters that a multi command Indian army delegation will be visiting China later this year.

Defence exchanges between India and China were temporarily suspended after top Indian General was issued stapled visa by Beijing last year because he served in Jammu and Kashmir.

Menon, however, maintained that defence ties between India and China were never frozen.

“India China defence ties were never frozen, we have always continued defence exchanges for instance meeting of our commanders, flag meetings, all the border commanders meetings regular ones, we have maintained communication,” he said. (ANI)