China nods 'positive' on boundary issue

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Beijing, January 8:: Ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit, China on Tuesday said negotiations on the boundary issue with India had made "positive and important progress" and Beijing was willing to reach a "fair and reasonable resolution framework" acceptable to both at an early date.

"The two sides have shown their positive political willingness and we are willing to work together with India so as to reach a fair and reasonable resolution framework acceptable to both at an early date so as to build a friendly and peaceful border area," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu told reporters in Beijing.

She said the negotiations on the boundary issue have reached a "positive and important progress over the past years".

China, Jiang said during the regular briefing, attached "great importance" to Singh's visit and hoped that it would deepen the traditional friendship between the two nations as also the cooperation "which is pragmatic in various fields".

She said Singh would meet his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao on January 14 and the Chinese President Hu Jintao the next day.

Singh, who would be accompanied by a delegation of leading businessmen, will arrive in Beijing on January 13 undertaking the trip at the invitation of the Chinese Premier.

External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee hinted last week that India did not expect "any dramatic turnaround" on the boundary issue but maintained that negotiations were moving in the "right direction".

Hu had visited India in November 2006, the first trip by a Chinese President in a decade, and Wen a year earlier.