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India, China want peaceful solution to border dispute, says Pranab

Tawang (Arunachal Pradesh): Rebuffing China’s claim on Arunachal Pradesh, India on Sunday asserted that the north-eastern State is its integral part and ruled out ceding any of its part.

“China is often making claims on Arunachal Pradesh, but Arunachal Pradesh has a special place in our heart,” External Affairs Minister Pranab Mukherjee Mukherjee, who visited the 400-year-old Buddhist monastery here in this border town said.

“People of Arunachal Pradesh regularly elect two representatives to the Lok Sabha and there is an elected State Assembly carrying out the responsibility of administration like any of the other 27 States. The question of parting company with Arunachal or any of its part does not arise,” he said.

Addressing as chief guest at the 8th Buddha Mahotsava, Mr. Mukherjee said: “Both India and China are seeking a peaceful solution to the border dispute. The special representatives of the Prime Ministers of both India and China have completed 12 rounds of talks. There are problems in identification of land between the two countries.”

Mr. Mukherjee said he was pleased to get an opportunity to come to Tawang, the birthplace of the sixth Dalai Lama.

Mr. Mukherjee said both India and China were working together to find a fair and mutually acceptable settlement through dialogue. Apparently seeking to soothe China which had reacted sharply to his recent remark that Beijing’s rise posed a challenge to New Delhi, he said: “It has been my constant endeavour to develop friendly ties with China and to explore all possibilities for economic and other cooperation with other border states.”

“We will continue to work with our Chinese friends to persuade them to reopen border trade with Arunachal Pradesh and create economic opportunities,” he said. —PTI

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