India, China can quickly resolve boundary dispute: NSA Shivshankar Menon

Beijing: India and China can quickly resolve their vexed boundary dispute as they have governments with strong mandates to reach an agreement with most of the spadework already completed, former National Security Advisor Shivshankar Menon has said.

While the border remained largely peaceful in the last three decades without a gunshot fired, emotions run high in both countries with "scary stories", Menon said in a lengthy interaction with students of the Peking University here after speaking on 'India's National Security Strategy and India-China Relations' on Monday night.

"There are a lot of scary stories, especially on the internet. If you read internet opinion in India and China runs very hot. That is the world we live today. That is why we say

the quicker we can settle (border dispute), the better. Because the ultimate conflict resolution tool is really settling the boundary," said Menon, who was the designated Special Representatives for Sino-India boundary dispute under the UPA government.

"I think we can do it. Because we have governments in both the countries today who have strong mandates and very clear strategic ideas where they want to take their countries," said Menon, who took part in the interaction along with his long standing former Chinese Sino-India boundary negotiator Dai Bingguo.

"To my mind, we have a moment we can actually do it today. I think all the technical work has been done by Dai Bingguo and his Indian counterparts. I say this in India and here this boundary can be settled. It is time we settle, the quicker we do it, the better," he said.

Endorsing Menon's remarks, Dai who was China's Special Representative for the boundary talks since they were established in 2003 and headed the 15 of the 17 rounds of held so far, said, "If we address the boundary issue the potential for cooperation will be fully tapped."

"The two sides should make efforts to address the boundary issue as early as possible," Dai said.

"Of course we cannot solve it overnight. Over the past decades we have done something, laid some ground work. It is not a waste of time," said Dai, who retired in 2012 as China's top diplomat.

"I believe the boundary issue will be addressed sooner or later, when conditions are mature. This problem can be addressed. Boundary issue to some extent is an impediment to the bilateral ties. If we deal with it properly, we can enhance the mutual trust and create favourable environment for bilateral relations," he said.

Until an agreement is reached, the two countries have to make sure the tranquility and peace along the border areas, Dai said.

"We have to manage this area properly. Over the past decades no gunshot fired and no serious tensions prevailed. We need to make sure that it continues," Dai said.

The comments by the top two former negotiators of the boundary dispute came days after India announced that current National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval will be India's new Special Representative for the talks.

Preparations are underway for the 18th round of talks to be held between Doval and his Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi in the near future.

Menon is currently in Beijing to attend the North Pavilion dialogue between top strategic analysts arranged by the Peking University's Strategic Studies Institute.

Answering a question on blunting the riding tide of emotions on both sides, Menon said both countries need to be open about the dialogue process.

"The governments have gotten to the habit of keeping things to themselves. We need to be much more open about the actual situation on the border," Menon said "Over the time we have learnt to live with each other on the border even though the boundary is not settled. We have signed a series of agreements we have done CBMs. I think India and China together don't take enough credit to it," he said.

"We should go and tell the world here is an example how we successfully managed the world's largest boundary dispute and make sure that it does not affect the rest of the relationship and stays peaceful," he said.

Menon said the two countries should do much more in trade, border trade and travel contacts across the border, which softens the edges of the border.

"A lot of it is because it is so remote and nobody knows what is actually happening to see the report which frankly makes no sense. Those arise lot of emotion," Menon said apparently referring to reports of incursions along the LAC.

Elaborating on why the border dispute is taking so long to be resolved, Menon said, the two sides needed to do their homework first.

"Need to come to common understanding first where we are. I think we are much closer, which is why preceded from general to the particular," he said.

When the Special Representatives were appointed in 2003, the two sides set off a three stage process.

The Guiding Principles and Political Parameters for the settlement was reached in 2005.

"Then we would agree for a framework of settlement and the third step will be drawing the line converting the framework into a line. I think we are now in the second half

of the second stage, heading in the right direction. Which is why I say with confidence we now know how to go about this issue," Menon said.