India, China favour early settlement of border

New Delhi India and China have reiterated their commitment to an early settlement of the boundary question and to pursue this as a strategic objective a joint statement by both sides on Chinese President Xi Jinpings visit said here FridayDuring Xis official threeday visit the two sides exchanged views on the IndiaChina boundary question and reiterated their commitment to seek a fair reasonable and mutually acceptable solution proceeding from the overall interests of bilateral relations the statement saidRecalling the Agreement on the Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for the Settlement of the Boundary Question signed in April 2005 both sides reiterated their commitment to an early settlement of the boundary question and expressed their conviction that this will advance basic interests of the two countries and shall therefore be pursued as a strategic objective the joint statement on Building a Closer Developmental Partnership saidThey reaffirmed the utility and significance of the mechanism of Special Representatives for seeking a political settlement of the boundary question and for handling border related mattersPeace and tranquility on the IndiaChina border areas was recognized as an important guarantor for the development and continued growth of bilateral relations Pending a final resolution of the boundary question the two sides would continue to make joint efforts to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas it saidNoting that improved bilateral military ties are conducive to building mutual trust and confidence the two sides agreed to a regular exchange of visits between the defence ministries and military leaders so as to expand pragmatic cooperation in the relevant fieldsThey also agreed to hold the fourth joint army training at a mutually convenient time hold navyair force joint exercise at a proper time and strengthen cooperation in such areas as peacekeeping counterterrorism naval escort maritime security humanitarian rescue disaster mitigation personnel training and think tank communicationThe statement said Both sides agreed to hold the first round of maritime cooperation dialogue this year to exchange views on maritime affairs and security including antipiracy freedom of navigation and cooperation between maritime agencies of both countries They also agreed to hold the consultations on disarmament nonproliferation and arms control at an early dateIndia expressed appreciation to China for providing floodseason hydrological data and the assistance in emergency managementThe two sides will further strengthen cooperation through the ExpertLevel Mechanism on the provision of floodseason hydrological data and emergency management and exchange views on other issues of mutual interest the statement saidBoth sides reiterated their willingness to proactively resolve all outstanding differences based on the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence through friendly negotiation without letting them affect the overall development of bilateral relationsThe two sides reaffirmed their commitment to consolidate the Strategic and Cooperative Partnership for Peace and Prosperity on the basis of the principle of mutual and equal security and mutual sensitivity for each others concerns and aspirationsBoth sides also decided to strengthen political communication deepen strategic trust as well as intensify political dialogue and consultations at all levelsWith this objective they also agreed upon regular visits at the level of heads of stategovernment The leaders of the two countries will continue to meet on the sidelines of multilateral fora as frequently as possibleXi said he would welcome Modis early visit to China Modi thanked Xi for that and said he accepted the invitation from the Chinese side with pleasure and looked forward to visiting China at an early dateXi invited President Pranab Mukherjee to visit China at a mutually convenient time President Mukherjee accepted the invitationThe two also recognised that their respective growth processes are mutually reinforcing and agreed to leverage mutual complementarities and build a closer developmental partnershipThe leaders agreed to make this developmental partnership a core component of the Strategic and Cooperative Partnership for Peace and ProsperityThis developmental partnership is conducive not only to the common interests of both sides but also to stability and prosperity of the region and the world the statement saidThe statement also noted all the economic agreements signed by both including in railways and the agreement to forge closer ties in the cultural and peopletopeople areaXi was here on a threeday state visit and left for Beijing Friday afternoon