India and China hold Himalayan border talks
The Chimmey Monastery, visited by Tibetan Spritual leader the Dalai Lama, is seen in Tawang, in the northwestern corner of Arunachal Pradesh state on November 12, 2009, on the last day of his visit to the disputed region. The Dalai Lama said religious “duty” compelled him to make his visit to a Buddhist region near India’s disputed Himalayan border with Tibet that has infuriated China.
Officials from India and China are holding two-day talks in New Delhi about their shared Himalayan border.
"The meeting deals with all issues of peace and tranquility on the border," Indian foreign ministry spokesman Syed Akbaruddin said, according to Agence France-Presse.
The precise location of the border is disputed, with Chinese officials claiming that the 35,000 square miles of land in India's northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh belongs to them, and India arguing that China is occupying 15,000 square miles of India’s territory on the Aksai Chin plateau.
During the talks, officials will discuss how to improve communication during border incidents, and India is expected to raise the issue of increasing Chinese incursions into Indian territory.
This spring, Indian and Chinese troops faced off against each other in a disputed area of the Himalayas for 20 days after India accused Chinese troops of setting up camps 12 miles into Indian territory.
More from GlobalPost: China and India withdraw troops from Daulat Beg Oldie, Ladakh, ending standoff
And Indian officials reported three incidents just this past week when Chinese troops moved onto the Indian side of the border in the Leh region of northern India.
According to the Associated Press:
India and China have separately held 16 rounds of talks since 2003 to resolve their border dispute, without making much progress.