NEW DELHI: The 22nd meeting of special representatives of India and China for border talks will begin here on Saturday.
The Indian delegation will be led by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval while the Chinese side will be led by Wang Yi, State Councillor and Foreign Minister of China.
This will be the first meeting between the special representatives of the two countries since the second informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping at Mamallapuram in October.
The India-China border dispute covers 3,488-km-long Line of Actual Control (LAC). China claims Arunachal Pradesh to be a part of southern Tibet.
Ahead of the talks, Army Chief General Bipin Rawat said, “Post-Wuhan, the strategic guidance from the highest level and understanding of the nuisances of the working mechanism at the functional level has enabled management of challenges along the LAC.”
During the 21st round of talks held at Chengdu in China last year, both sides had resolved to intensify their efforts to achieve a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the India-China boundary question at an early date.
According to the practice, the two countries hold the meeting in rotation.
“They underlined the importance of approaching the boundary question from the strategic perspective of India-China relations and agreed that an early settlement of the boundary question serves the fundamental interests of both countries,” said a Ministry of External Affairs statement.