'India, China working on a new border patrolling framework'

BEIJING: India and China are working on a new border patrolling framework; the Chinese media indicated this on Monday as national security advisor Ajit Doval met Chinese state councilor Yang Jiechi.

The details of the meeting remained sketchy. But official Xinhua news agency reported the two sides agreed to take forward process of negotiations based on consensus achieved following Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese president Xi Jinping's meeting in September.

The report indicated the two sides were trying to bring in greater flexibility in negotiations instead of remaining bound by the framework that ex-Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and former president Hu Jintao had worked out.

The agency said the two countries have agreed to "properly handle and control their disputes''. It added Doval and Yang, who met in New Delhi for the 18th round of border talks, engaged in "strategic communication".

The two agreed to jointly safeguard peace in the border regions before the boundary dispute is resolved.

The talks would take into consideration "overall bilateral relations and long- term interests of the two peoples".