A group of strategic affairs experts and academics from India and China held a high-level track-II dialogue here with a broader aim to expand overall engagement between the two Asian giants including in defence and security spheres.
In the deliberations on March 25-26, the experts examinedIndia-China relations in a changing global context, explored ways to furtherboost economic engagement and reviewed the search for a boundary settlement andmanagement of borders, the Institute of Chinese Studies (ICS) said in arelease.
The ICS and China Center for South Asian Studies, SichuanUniversity, coordinated the dialogue.
“These candid talks were assessed to be productive andforward-looking by both sides,” said ICS.
It said the discussion also focused on enlargement ofIndia-China cooperation in defence and security domains and reviewed thegrowing role of the two countries in the world.
The Indian delegation was led by Shivshankar Menon, formerNational Security Adviser and Special Representative for India-China BoundaryQuestion, while the Chinese side was headed by former State Councillor DaiBingguo.
Amassador Menon and State Concillor Dai delivered keynoteaddresses at the inaugural session Monday which was also addressed byAmbassador of China to India Luo Zhaohui.
Former Foreign Secretary and Prime Minister’s Special EnvoyShyam Saran and Qiu Yuanping, Standing Committee member of the Chinese People’sPolitical Consultative Conference and former State Council Minister also spokeat the concluding session.
Similar consultations were earlier held at Meishan, Chengdu,China in November 2017.
Ambassador Ashok K. Kantha, Director, Institute of Chinese Studies and Prof. Yan Shijing, Secretary General, China Center for South Asian Studies, Sichuan University agreed that these informal high-level discussions will continue.