Chinese media has different border claim

Reports in the official Chinese media that the Sino-Indian border is only 2000 km-long — excluding the 1,600-km stretch that separates Jammu & Kashmir from Xinjiang and Tibet — have created a flutter in the Indian media.

Reports in the official Chinese media that the Sino-Indian border is only 2000 km-long — excluding the 1,600-km stretch that separates Jammu & Kashmir from Xinjiang and Tibet — have created a flutter in the Indian media.

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New Delhi didn't react to these reports, and sources said the Chinese media has been putting the border length at 2000km for a long time now.

"The dispute on the length of the borderline was always there. There is nothing new in the media report," said Rong

Ying, vice-president of the China Institute of International Studies, a foreign ministry think-tank.

New Delhi maintains the boundary is 3,488-km long.

Ahead of Premier Wen Jiabao's visit, Xinuha had reported that the Sino-India border 2000 km based on an official briefing by assistant foreign minister of China, Hu Zhengye. The People's Daily had reported the same on January 7 this year. "The border issue stretches back to colonial British

rule. China and India share a nearly 2,000-km border and disputed areas cover about 125,000 sq km on both sides," it reported while covering the India-China defence dialogue. China Daily too mentioned the same in its report same day. The "2000-km-long" boundary was mentioned in China Daily in August 2009 in a report on the 13th round of boundary talks between the two sides.

"There is no change in Chinese policy as far as I can see," said Rong.