India-China ties: How both countries are planning to resolve border dispute; Chinese envoy explains

NEW DELHI: Chinese ambassador to India Xu Feihong on Thursday said that two groups will be set up to resolve border disputes between India and China.

Xu said that a consensus on 10 points was reached between the two countries during Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi's two day visit to New Delhi.

"Two groups will be set up by our two sides over the border issue. One group will be for border delimitation into appropriate sectors," Xu said.

"The second group will focus on proper management of the border and border areas," he added.

Earlier, Doval and Wang co-chaired 24th round of the Special Representatives’ dialogue on the Boundary Question.

Both sides agreed to reopen trade through the three designated passes — Lipulekh, Shipki La, and Nathu La — to boost cross-border economic activity.

The Chinese ambassador also said that the relationship between two countries should not be defined by the border issue.

"We should not define the border issue as relationship between our two countries. The border issue is on one side, and cooperation between India and China is on the other side," he said.

"The visit of Prime Minister Modi to China will be a very important event not only for the SCO but for the bilateral relationship between the two countries. A working group from China and India are preparing to make this visit a successful one. We attach great importance to this visit," he added.

PM Modi will arrive in Tianjin on Aug 31 for what will be his first visit to China in over seven years. He had last visited China in 2018, again for the SCO summit.

SCO has been an important forum for India to assert its strategic autonomy but his visit on this occasion has evoked more than just a cursory interest, as it comes in the middle of what many see as the worst phase in India's ties with the US in decades.