Border talks with India tougher towards settlement: China

Indian elephant and Chinese dragon should 'do more' to strengthen bilateral cooperation to clinch a final settlement of the boundary issue, says China's Foreign Minister

China today said the border dispute with India has been "contained" as it sought stronger ties for the resolution of the vexed issue, likening it with climbing a mountain that gets "tougher" towards the summit.

Addressing his annual press conference on the sidelines of the National People's Congress (NPC), China's legislature, Foreign Minister Wang Yi said the Indian elephant and Chinese dragon should "do more" to strengthen bilateral cooperation to clinch a final settlement of the boundary issue.

"As for China-India boundary question, it is a legacy of history. We have worked on it for many years and made some progress in the boundary negotiations," Wang said here in a nationally-televised address.

"It is like climbing a mountain...The going is tough because we are on the way up. This is all the more reason that we do more to strengthen China-India cooperation so that we can enable and facilitate the settlement of the boundary question," he said answering a question from PTI about Prime Minister Narendra Modi's expected visit and the chances of a breakthrough in boundary talks that have dragged on for years.

"The dispute has been contained. At the moment, the boundary negotiation is in the process of building up small positive developments," Wang said in an elaborate comment on the issue ahead of the forthcoming 18th round of border talks.

He also said that a warm welcome awaited Prime Minister Narendra Modi when he makes his first visit to China later this year.

"Last September, President Xi Jinping made an historic visit to India. Picture of the two leaders working at a spinning wheel in Gujarat, the home state of Prime Minister, has spread far and wide in China.

"Chinese people believe in reciprocating the courtesy of others. I am sure when Prime Minister Modi visits China later this year, he will be warmly welcomed by the Chinese government and people," he said.

Modi is expected to visit China before May 6, around the time when his government completes one year in office.

The talks to be held later this month will be the first round after the NDA took over power last year. They are taking place amid clamour on both sides that a concerted effort should be made for a final solution considering that the two countries have strong governments.