China today said border talks with India have yielded "initial results", enabling the two neighbours to properly handle their differences over the vexed boundary issue and maintain peace along the frontier.
Speaking shortly after the conclusion of the 17th round of the Special Representative talks between him and National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon here today, Chinese State Councilor Yang Jiechi said the parleys had yielded "initial results".
"The mechanism of Special Representatives' Meeting for the Boundary Question, which the two countries set up, has yielded initial results, enabling the two sides to properly handle their boundary-related differences and maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas," he said.
Yang, who called on Manmohan Singh, said the Indian Prime Minister was "very positive" about the outcome of talks.
"The Prime Minister was very positive about the result of the meeting and as usual, he showed such wisdom for the furtherance of our relationship and this is a very important message I would take back to the leadership in China," he said.
Addressing the launch ceremony of the "Year of China-India Friendly Exchanges" here, he said: "Over the years, we have abided by mutual respect, deepened strategic trust and worked steadily to increase resilience of the bilateral relations.
"We have kept to mutual benefit, expanded exchanges and cooperation and worked concertedly to bring tangible benefits to our peoples," said Yang, a former Foreign Minister and one of China's top diplomats.
He said the two sides have continued to "take care of each other's concerns, properly managed our differences and helped create an environment favourable for the overall development of
bilateral relations".
During the Yang-Menon meeting, the two sides discussed possible additional confidence-building measures, including the early implementation of the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement (BDCA).
The BDCA, signed late last year during Singh's visit to Beijing, spells out a series of measures to enhance coordination between the armies of the two countries along the disputed 4,057-km Line of Actual Control.
