BEIJING (TIP): China is according high importance to national security adviser Shiv Shankar Menon’s visit to the country, with Premier Li Keqiang and foreign minister Wang Yi among those scheduled to meet him. Menon will hold negotiations on the boundary issue and lay the ground for defence minister A K Anthony’s visit to Beijing early next month. At the same time, the Chinese foreign ministry has cautioned against having high hopes about the outcome of the two-day boundary talks that Menon will have with China’s state councillor Yang Jeichi from Friday.

“The boundary question is an issue left over from history (and) it cannot be solved overnight, but you should see that (the) two sides have made long-lasting efforts in order to solve the issue and a lot of achievements have already been made,” Chinese foreign ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said. She said China was looking forward to an acceptable solution pending the final settlement of boundary question.

“We should work together to maintain peace and tranquillity of (the) border areas and ensure the boundary issue does not affect overall relations between China and India,” she said. Chinese troops had recently entered Indian territory in Daulat Beg Oldi sector in eastern Ladakh. That stand-off could only be resolved after about three weeks.