Sunday, January 8 2006 20:32 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Beijing: India and China will exchange views on bilateral, regional and international issues of common concern during Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran's visit to the communist country beginning today (Jan 8,2006).

Saran arrived here today for the second round of the India-China Strategic Dialogue which will start tomorrow (Jan 9,2006).

While Saran will lead the Indian side, the Chinese delegation will be headed by Vice Foreign Minister Wu Dawei, who is in charge of Asian affairs.

Ahead of the talks, a senior Chinese official said, "The Chinese Government firmly pursues the policy of developing long-term, stable, good-neighbourly and cooperative relations with India".

"The Chinese side is ready to work closely with the Indian side to further expand friendly exchanges, strengthen mutually beneficial cooperation, and continuously enrich the contents of the strategic and cooperative partnership between our two countries," the official told sources.

The second round of the India-China Strategic Dialogue is the first since New Delhi and Beijing agreed to qualitatively upgrade their bilateral relations to strategic levels during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to India in April last year.

During Wen's visit, India and China had agreed to upgrade their relations and establish a "Strategic and Cooperative Partnership for Peace and Prosperity."

It is also the first major bilateral event this year which is being marked as the 'India-China Friendship Year'and is expected to be utilised by two sides to instil greater confidence and cooperation between the two Asian giants.

The first Strategic Dialogue between the two sides was held in New Delhi on January 24 last year.

Saran, who was in Washington last month to review the progress in the implementation of the July 18 India-US Joint Statement and attended the second meeting of the Joint Working Group on Civil Nuclear Energy Cooperation, may brief Wu about the Indo-US nuke deal.

China, a recognised nuclear power is still opposed to recognising India as a nuclear power. Beijing is also of the view that the proposed Indo-US nuclear deal may undermine global nuclear disarmament moves.

Saran may also use the visit and talks to discuss UN reforms, including India's bid to become a permanent member of the UN Security Council. China, which says it backs India's aspiration to become a permanent member of the UNSC has however backed out citing New Delhi's alliance with Japan, a country with which Beijing has sour political relations.

Interestingly, the Foreign Secretary is in Beijing days after India, Brazil and Germany re-tabled the G-4 draft resolution gn UNSC reforms. However, Japan has abstained from the move this time. It is unclear whether Beijing will review its stand on the G-4 draft.

The second round of India-China Strategic Dialogue is also taking place ahead of the seventh round of boundary talks between the Special Representatives of India and China laterthis month in New Delhi.

During his stay in Beijing, Saran will call on Chinese State Councillor Tang Jiaxuan, Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing and Executive Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo, who is also the Chinese Special Representative to the India-China boundary talks.