India and China on Friday showed a new determination to expeditiously address unresolved issues including the vexed boundary problem and decided to initiate the security dialogue very soon possibly next month.
The decision announced by a senior external affairs ministry official comes as part of the exercise of carrying forward their relations to fresh grounds of closer understanding and trust.
The boundary issue figured during wide-ranging talks visiting Chinese leader Li Peng had with President K R Narayanan and External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh.
Both sides underscored the need to take forward the process of addressing this issue. The two countries are considering having more meetings of the expert group set up to discuss the issue, the official said.
New Delhi and Beijing have already decided to expedite the process of delineation of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the middle sector along the Sino-Indian borders in Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh.
Emerging from a 30-minute meeting with Li, number two in the Chinese hierarchy after President Jiang Zemin, Singh said they spoke of the attending concerns we have in regard to our unresolved problems and the need to further promote good relations between the two great neighbours having ancient civilizations.
The official replied in the negative on being asked whether New Delhi raised its concerns over dumping of Chinese goods in this country and Beijing`s reported assistance to Pakistan`s nuclear programme.
Bureau Report