China for end to border row

China proposed "phasing out" of Sino-Indian differences on the border dispute with the two sides agreeing to speed up a solution.

China on Monday proposed "phasing out" of historical Sino-Indian differences on the border dispute with the two countries agreeing to speed up a final solution to the contentious issue when Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee and his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao held "constructive and friendly" discussions here.

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Vajpayee, on the second day of his six-day official visit to China, met with Wen for a total of more than two hours at the imposing Great Hall of People where he was accorded a red carpet welcome and a ceremonial guard of honour.

At the outset the 78-year-old Vajpayee, the first Indian Prime Minister to visit the Middle Kingdom in ten years, told Wen, 18 years his junior, that their discussions should be held with "openness and frankness as between friends".

The two then covered the border dispute and other bilateral topics besides international and regional issues, including cross-border terrorism from Pakistan.

While standing by their earlier commitment that the border issue should not hold up progress in other areas, both sides were of the view that the process of sorting out their differences on the issue should be expedited.

Wen, a younger generation Chinese leader, who assumed office only three months ago, suggested that the differences on the border should be phased out and that the two countries should have consultations on "equal footing in a friendly atmosphere to find solutions".

Officials of the two countries then began discussions to see if the differences on the border issue could be narrowed down during Vajpayee's stay in Beijing. No further details of what the officials were attempting were given nor was it clear whether a joint statement would be issued at the conclusion of the Indian leader's talks on Tuesday.

External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha, who was present during the talks, was reticent to give details except to say that the border issue and the question of Chinese recognition of Sikkim as an integral part of India had come up during the discussions.

Attired in a grey 'bandgala' suit, Vajpayee drove from his hotel to the Great Hall of People, adjacent to the Tiananmen square for his first meeting with the new Chinese leadership. Wen welcomed him with a warm handshake and a Chinese girl presented him with a bouquet.

The two leaders then began a "restricted" meeting with limited number of aides. Besides, Sinha, National Security Advisor, Brajesh Mishra and Indian Ambassador to China, Shiv Shankar Menon, assisted Vajpayee.

The "restricted" meeting lasted 45 minutes, followed by another 90-minutes of full delegation talks after which the two countries signed as many as nine agreements, including those on easing of visa restrictions and judicial cooperation.

Sinha told Indian journalists later that the discussions were held in an extremely cordial atmosphere with both sides exuding "a great deal of warmth".

Wen recalled Vajpayee's last official visit to China in 1979 as Foreign Minister as "ice-breaking" journey and hoped that the current visit would mark the beginning of a new era, Sinha said.

The Indo-Pak ties came up when the Chinese Premier commended Vajpayee for his offer of friendship to Islamabad and told him that China was interested in a peaceful South Asia which could contribute to stability in the region and the world.

It was then that Vajpayee mentioned that cross-border terrorism from Pakistan has to come to an end and voiced the hope that it would happen soon.