NEW DELHI, Jan 11: Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh, starting his maiden trip to China on Sunday, has said both countries should pursue an early settlement of the boundary issue as a strategic objective that should not come in the way of “positive development” of their bilateral ties.

“I am going (to China) with an open mind to hold free and frank discussions on all issues of common interests with a view to shaping a relationship that befits our two countries and our future generations,” the Press Trust of India said, quoting from his interview to China’s official Xinhua news agency.

Describing his visit as “part of the recent happy tradition of high-level exchanges” between the two countries, Dr Singh said: “India-China relations have today transcended their bilateral dimension and have acquired global and strategic significance.”

On the boundary issue, he was quoted as saying that officials were engaged in discussions in order to finalise at an early date an appropriate framework for a final package settlement covering all sectors of the India-China boundary.

“An early settlement of the boundary question will advance the basic interests of the two countries and should, therefore, be pursued as a strategic objective,” Dr Singh said.

He will meet Chinese President Hu Jintao and Prime Minister Wen Jiabao during his three-day visit.

Dr Singh said that peace and tranquillity have been maintained in the border areas. India was committed to resolving differences on the boundary question “through peaceful means and in a fair, reasonable, mutually acceptable and proactive manner, while ensuring that such differences are not allowed to affect the positive development of bilateral relations”.