19 September 2008
Border talks conclude with no agreement
(AT; PTI; Xinhua) The 12th round of Sino-Indian talks concluded with no specific agreements made over the border issue. Discussions between India's National Security Adviser M K Narayanan and China's State Councillor Dai Bingguo were "pragmatic, candid and friendly", according to a statement by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. Beijing said the two countries must "maintain peace and tranquillity along the border to help in a speedy resolution of the protracted problem". However, in India, the sincerity of China's intentions have been questioned following a series of alleged incursions across the eastern sector of the border by Chinese troops and a perceived hardening of Beijing's stance on Arunachal Pradesh, with the area around Tawang a particular sticking point.