China, Bhutan to continue border talks

China and Bhutan on Friday pledged to find solutions to their mutual-border issues, a breakthrough in their 28-year bilateral talks, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Sunday.

China wants to continue cooperation and friendly negotiations with Bhutan as they seek a solution acceptable to both sides, Vice-Minister of Foreign Affairs Fu Ying said at the 20th round of border talks in Thimphu, Bhutan's capital.

The two countries, which have not established diplomatic relations, are conducting their border talks based on the Four Guiding Principles they agreed to in their 1998 agreement to maintain peace along their border.

Khandu Wangchuck, Bhutan's acting minister of foreign affairs, also expressed his wish to work with China to solve the boundary issue as soon as possible, saying his country attaches great importance to ties with China and adheres to the one-China policy.

Bhutan would like to strengthen coordination with China in international affairs as well as cooperation in the fields of trade, tourism and culture, he added.

On Thursday, Fu arrived in Bhutan as head of an eight-member delegation for the talks, and met Bhutanese Prime Minister Lyonchhen Jigmi Y Thinley.

Despite the absence of diplomatic ties, the two countries have maintained political contacts, economic cooperation and people-to-people exchanges over the past several years, Fu said.