From February 10 to 11, 2014, the 17th Meeting of the Special Representatives for the China-India Boundary Question was held in New Delhi. Chinese Special Representative and State Councilor Yang Jiechi and Indian Special Representative and National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon made in-depth exchanges of views on the China-India boundary question, bilateral relations and international and regional issues of common concern.
The two sides agreed that in recent years, China and India have maintained a good momentum in border talks and effectively controlled and managed their differences concerning the boundary question, creating favorable conditions for the sound and smooth development of the bilateral relations. Both sides are willing to make joint efforts to adhere to the political guiding principles concerning the settlement of boundary question and seek out a solution framework which is fair, reasonable and acceptable to both sides at an early date, while in compliance with the “three-step” roadmap. Before the boundary question is solved, the two sides are willing to give full play to the existing mechanisms concerning the boundary question and practically implement the relevant agreements between China and India on maintaining peace and tranquility of the border areas and the Border Defense Cooperation Agreement between China and India, so as to jointly safeguard the peace and tranquility of the border areas.
The two sides expressed that China and India are strategic cooperative partners, and that to strengthen China-India relations and promote common development conform to the common interests of both countries and their people. As the two largest developing countries and emerging economies, China and India also share special common responsibilities for promoting the regional and even global peace and development. Both sides should maintain high-level exchanges and continuously enhance strategic mutual trust and coordination. Both sides are ready to actively promote the convergence of the two big markets of China and India, to steadily advance railway and industrial park cooperation and construction of the Bangladesh-China-India-Myanmar Economic Corridor, and to cooperatively build the “Silk Road Economic Belt”. Both sides will join hands and make efforts to ensure success in a series of activities of the “Year of China-India Friendly Exchanges” so as to enhance the friendship between the two peoples. The two countries will inherit and carry forward the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, and enhance coordination and cooperation in multilateral organizations such as the UN, G20 and BRICS as well as international and regional affairs, so as to safeguard the common interests of China and India and other developing countries.
