New Delhi: China and India on Thursday agreed to set up a working mechanism for consultation and coordination on border affairs.
"During my visit, the two sides have agreed to set up a working mechanism for consultation and coordination on border affairs," Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao said at the Indian Council of World Affairs in New Delhi.
"This (mechanism) will help enhance our mutual trust and maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas," he said.
Wen termed the boundary issue between the two countries as an "historical legacy" and said it would not be easy to completely resolve the matter.
"It requires patience and will take a fairly long period of time. Only with sincerity, mutual trust and perseverance can we eventually find a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution," Wen said.
The Chinese leader said both the countries have had good dialogue and communication and expressed a sincere desire to work together to resolve the boundary dispute.
"In the face of difficulty, the most important thing to do is to press ahead along the right track, narrow differences step by step, build consensus and increase confidence," he said.
On the issue of trans-border rivers, Wen said China took seriously India's concerns and was ready to further improve the joint working mechanism.
"We will do whatever we can and do it even better. I would like to assure our Indian friends that all the upstream development activities by China will be based on scientific planning and study and will never harm downstream interests," he said.
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