NEW DELHI: As Prime Minister Narendra Modi plans a trip to Beijing next month, China on Thursday said its “huge dispute” with India over Arunachal Pradesh is an “undeniable fact”, Press Trust of India reported from Beijing.

The comments came together with appreciation of Mr Modi’s views that the two countries should create favourable conditions for a mutually-acceptable settlement of the vexed boundary issue.

“There is a huge dispute in the eastern border of China-India border. This is undeniable fact,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hu Chunying told media here when asked about the Indian government extending controversial Armed Forces Special Powers Act (AFSPA) in Arunachal Pradesh, PTI said.

Take a look: India, China agree to foster peace on disputed border

Arunachal Pradesh shares a 1,126 km border with China and 520 km border with Myanmar.

China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet. Description by China of the border issue a “huge dispute” and “undeniable fact”, is seen as an attempt by Beijing to flag its stand on Arunachal Pradesh ahead of Mr Modi’s expected visit to China next month, PTI said.

Her comments came as the top defence officials of the two countries are meeting in Beijing ahead of the Annual Defence Dialogue (ADD) scheduled for Friday.

Hua sounded positive while reacting to Mr Modi’s published remarks on the border issue made in an interview to an Indian newspaper and endorsed his views that maintaining peace at the border is important in order to create conditions to arrive at a mutually-acceptable solution.

“We have taken note of remarks made by Prime Minister Modi. China has always taken a positive attitude on the China-India boundary question,” she said.

“Last September while visiting India, President Xi Jinping said publicly that China is confident to resolve the boundary question together with the Indian side though friendly negotiations and maintaining peace and tranquillity of the border area,” she said.

“It is a common responsibility of common aspiration of the India and China to resolve the boundary question. We have made enormous efforts to this end,” she said, highlighting 18 rounds of Special Representatives talks to “exchange views”.

“Progress has been made in this regard. We are willing to work with India to press ahead with the negotiations process to reach a comprehensive and reasonable solution that is acceptable to both the parties,” she said.

Published in Dawn, April 10th, 2015

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