New Delhi: India and China on October 23 held the first round of crucial talks aimed at giving a political push for an early solution of the lingering boundary problem.

Senior Vice Minister of the Chinese Foreign Ministry Dai Bingguo led a seven-member delegation for the parleys with principal secretary to Prime Minister and National Security Advisor Brajesh Mishra.

The special representatives of the two countries are expected to work out a pragmatic and mutually acceptable approach in dealing with the protracted issue.

The decision to appoint the special representatives was proposed by Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee during his landmark visit to China in June and was promptly accepted by his Chinese counterpart Wen Jiabao.

It was felt that there had already been 14 rounds of the India-China Joint Working Group on the boundary question and the movement had been painfully slow.

The Chinese delegation included its Ambassador in India Hua Junduo, director general from Asia Department Fu Ying and director general from the Policy Study Department Cui Tiantai, besides senior officials.

Mishra was assisted by senior officials of the PMO, External Affairs Ministry and concerned departments.

The Mishra-Dai talks come close on the heels of Vajpayee's recent meetings with Wen, which officials said took place in excellent and remarkable atmosphere both in terms of cordiality and friendliness and in tone and content.

Clearly sharing India's desire to work on expeditious resolution of the boundary question, Wen had conveyed to Vajpayee that contentious issues needed to be put behind by the two countries.

Both sides seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement of the boundary question through peaceful consultations.

As a step in the direction, they signed an agreement on maintenance of peace and tranquillity along the line of actual control (LAC) in the India-China border areas in 1993.

It was followed by a second accord three years later on confidence building measures in the military field along the LAC.

Though the process of clarification of the LAC has started within the existing mechanisms, leaders from the two sides feel the going is slow. While maps of the LAC in the middle sector have been exchanged, discussions have commenced on clarification of the LAC in the Western sector of the Sino-India boundary.

PTI