NEW DELHI (AP) Officials from India and China were meeting in New Delhi on Tuesday to discuss ways to restore peace and tranquility on their shared Himalayan border, a source of longstanding tension between the Asian giants.
Top military and foreign ministry officials from the two sides were examining the workings of a group set up last year to deal with incidents on the border and defuse them before they escalate into major standoffs, said an Indian official speaking on condition of anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media.
During the two-day meeting, India is expected to raise its concerns about incursions by Chinese troops into Indian territory across the Line of Actual Control that serves as an informal border. Officials will also discuss ways to ensure better communication between the two sides should any incident take place near the border.
In April, the two countries were caught in a three-week stand-off when Chinese soldiers moved deep inside Indian boundary. Indian officials have reported several minor incursions since then, including three in the past week, when Chinese troops entered the Indian side in the Leh region of northern India adjacent to southwestern China.
India and China have separately held 16 rounds of talks since 2003 to resolve their border dispute, without making much progress.
