NEW DELHI : The 16th Round of India-China Special Representatives Talks will be held in Beijing on June 28 and 29, the Ministry of External Affairs announced here today.
The talks are drawing special attention in the wake of the recent political transition in China and the border stand-off between the two countries following Chinese incursion in the western border in Ladakh.
National Security Adviser(NSA) Shiv Shankar Menon will lead the Indian side and the Chinese delegation will be led by State Councillor Yang Jiechi, who has replaced Mr Di Biggou in a recent leadership change. Mr Biggou had led the talks since the mechanism was introduced in 2003.
Mr Yang, who has also served as Foreign Minister, assumed the current position in the leadership change that took place in March.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said in Beijing that both sides would use the SR talks to “maintain the negotiation momentum, safeguard peace and tranquillity in border areas, exchange views on bilateral relations as well as major international and regional issues, and push for comprehensive and in-depth development of relations.”
Defence Minister A K Antony is also expected to visit China in the first week of July.
(AGENCIES)