China hasn't changed Special Representative on border talks

The Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday indicated that the country's top diplomat, Yang Jiechi, may well continue as its Special Representative on border talks with India, saying it has not heard of any change so far.

According to reports, China is likely to appoint a new State Councillor and Special Representative in March. Yang, the incumbent, was re-elected to the Communist Party's powerful Central Committee last month.

This means he might be promoted and may be succeeded by China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

"I have not heard about any changes in the Special Representative on the boundary issue on the Chinese side," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said when asked about the likely change.

Yang will hold the 20th round of border talks with India's National Security Advisor, who is India's Special Representative on the border talks with China.

The next border talks are likely to be held in December in New Delhi.

Hua said this "mechanism is working very well and two sides will decide the date and time of this year's meeting in due course.

"As you know, both the Chinese and Indian leaders attach great importance to the boundary issue and we have made great efforts for many years to resolve this issue," Hua said.

The meeting will come after an over two-month military stand-off between India and China in the Sikkim section this year.

India and China, which fought a war in 1962, have a de-facto boundary of 3,488 km.

While China claims India's Arunachal Pradesh as its own, New Delhi lays claim to Aksai Chin that is held by Beijing.

--IANS

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