Friendly move stressed in Sino-Indian border rift
By Guo Nei (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-04-14 05:43

The Chinese Government yesterday once again clarified the guiding principles both China and India have agreed upon to resolve the border issues between the two countries.

After five rounds of meetings, the two sides clinched an agreement aimed at settling the boundary dispute on Monday when Premier Wen Jiabao visited India.

Both countries have promised to settle the issue through peaceful and friendly consultations and "neither side shall use or threaten to use force against the other by any means," according to a press release from the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

It said the two countries will seek a "fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable" solution to the boundary question for the benefit of the bilateral relations.

In a spirit of mutual understanding and mutual accommodation, the two parties will make meaningful and mutually acceptable adjustments to their respective positions on the issue while taking into account their respective "strategic and reasonable benefits" as well as mutually equal security.

"The two sides will give consideration to their respective histories, national emotions, actual difficulties, reasonable care and sensitive factors, as well as the actual situation of the border regions," it said.

The boundary will be defined according to the "clearly-marked and conspicuous natural geographic features" agreed upon by both countries and all necessary rights and benefits of the residents living on the border will be safeguarded.

"Both sides will strictly respect and conform to the actual control line before the boundary question is finally settled," it noted.

The China-India boundary dispute is the consequence of a brief but bitter border conflict in 1962 that left relations between the world's two most populous countries in shreds.

(China Daily 04/14/2005 page2)

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