Beijing: India must make "substantial adjustment" in the eastern sector, including returning the Buddhist enclave Tawang to China, to reach an early settlement of the border issue under the principle of give and take, former Chinese Ambassador to New Delhi, Zhou Gang, said.

"As the Chinese people will never accept McMahon line, India must make substantial adjustment in the East sector," he told PTI here as boundary negotiations are expected to gather momentum in the weeks ahead of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's visit, which is now put off until January, 2008.

"On China-India boundary issue, my view is that China has always taken a positive approach, hoping a settlement acceptable to both sides will be reached through talks at an early date," Zhou, now a Special Consultant to the Chinese Foreign Ministry, said.

He emphasised that the foremost thing is to abide by the principles of mutual understanding, mutual accommodation and mutual adjustment so as to obtain a final package settlement.

"I cited the following example that during my tenure as Chinese ambassador to India, I made it clear on many occasions to the Indian public -- Tawang belongs to China, it is the birthplace of the sixth Dalai Lama and the Dalai Lama is China's Dalai Lama , who cannot be India's Dalai Lama ."

"I think if the Indian side can make substantial adjustment in the East sector according to the principles of mutual understanding, mutual accommodation and mutual adjustment, the Chinese side will make its adjustment in the Western sector accordingly," Zhou, also a Senior Adviser to China Institute for International Strategic Studies, emphasised.

Source : PTI