Tuesday, January 25 2005 16:10 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Beijing: As the first-ever Sino-India strategic dialogue concluded with the desire to address differences in a "fair and reasonable" manner, China today (Jan 25, 2005) expressed hope that both sides would make "new moves" to find an early solution to the vexed boundary issue.

"We hope that with India's cooperation, we will be able to solve the border issue so that bilateral relations will witness faster development on a new basis," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan said told reporters.

Commenting on the outcome of the first round of India-China strategic dialogue held between Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei and Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran in New Delhi yesterday, Kong noted that both Beijing and New Delhi have reaffirmed their willingness to solve the border issue.

The Special Representatives from both sides have already carried out four rounds of talks.

"It is sad that India's Special Envoy J N Dixit passed away. We hope that under the vast picture of fast development between the two countries, both sides will make new moves to solve the border issue," Kong said.

He said during the strategic dialogue the two sides exchanged views on various fields of the bilateral relations and also focussed on regional and international issues of common concern.

"We believe that it was a successful dialogue," he said.