India-China boundary talks deferred

India and China have postponed the 15th round of boundary talks between their special representatives, which were expected to be held here next week.

The talks were tentatively planned for November 28-29. No reasons have been ascribed for the deferment.

China's Special Representative Dai Bingguo was expected to travel to New Delhi for talks with National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon, India's chief points-person for the boundary talks.

"We are looking forward to the 15th round of Special Representative talks in the near future and the two sides remain in touch to find convenient dates for the meeting," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Vishnu Prakash said. He was responding to questions on the dates of the boundary talks.

When the talks will be held, the focus will be on firming up a framework for resolving the decades-old boundary dispute, the second and crucial stage that could form the basis for the final demarcation of the boundary and territorial give and take implicit in any final deal.

The second stage is the "hardest part" of negotiations, informed sources said.

The two sides are expected to fast-track a joint border mechanism during the talks.

The 14th round of SR talks was held in Beijing last November.

The boundary dispute was among a host of issues that figured in discussions between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on the margins of the East Asia Summit in Bali on November 18.