NEW DELHI: The long-postponed meeting of the special representatives of India and China will start from Monday. It is expected to conclude with the signing of a border mechanism agreement aimed at nipping in the bud on any potential conflagrations on the long, disputed boundary between the countries. National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon will lead the talks on India’s side with his Chinese interlocutor, State councillor Dai Bingguo on Monday at the Hyderabad house in Delhi.
According to officials, the meeting will conclude on Tuesday with the signing of a working mechanism for consultation and coordination on India-China border.
China claims around 90,000 square km of Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh. On its part, India alleges that China occupies 38,000 sq km of territory in Jammu and Kashmir, as well as, an additional 5,180 sq km that was ceded by Pakistan to China in 1963. Therefore, India’s official position is that it shares a border of 4,117 km with China, while as per the Chinese, its only about half of that size, at around 2,000 km.
Despite still being undemarcated even after the brief 1964 war, the border has remained rather quiet, though there is periodic outrage in India over reported intrusions by Chinese troops at various parts of the disputed border.
“On account of differences in the perception of the Line of Actual Control, situations have arisen on the ground,” Minister of State for External Affairs E Ahamed had told parliament in the last session.