Monday, January 9 2006 18:54 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Beijing: India and China today (Jan 9, 2006) had in-depth exchange of views on the vexed boundary issue as also on enhancing cooperation and coordination in regional and global affairs.

Meeting for the second round of the Sino-India Strategic Dialogue in as many years, Foreign Secretary Shyam Saran in his talks with Chinese Vice Minister Wu Dawei covered bilateral, regional and international issues, official sources said.

The boundary issue which has been nagging relations between the two countries for decades also came up for discussion on the opening day of the two day talks between them, the sources said.

The talks were held in a cordial atmosphere over two sessions. The discussions covered bilateral, regional and international issues of common interest, sources said.

Saran also called on the Chinese Executive Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo, who is also the Chinese Special Representative for the India-China boundary talks at the political level.

Saran's meeting with Dai assumes significance as the latter is set to visit India later this month for the seventh round of the boundary talks at the level of Special Representatives.

Details of their in-camera talks held at the Diaoyutai State Guest House are not available.

While a quick solution to the boundary issue may not materialise, both sides are hopeful that a mutually-acceptable solution could be found through the mechanism of the Special Representatives to the vexed topic.