India, China to hold border talks on Monday

New Delhi, March 22 (IANS) National Security Advisor Ajit Doval will sit down with China's top diplomat, State Councillor Yang Jiechi, for the 18th round of Special Representative talks on the boundary question here on Monday.

For Doval, who was named the Special Representative for the talks last November, it will be his first go at the border talks. It will also be the Narendra Modi government's first shot at the SR level border talks since it came to power last May.

According to a press statement, Yang is visiting New Delhi March 22-24 for the talks at Doval's invitation.

Yang, who is China's Special Representative for the border talks, will meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday.

The Chinese state councillor arrives Sunday night. He will hold restricted level talks with Doval and later delegation level talks at Hyderabad House on Monday.

The around 4,000-km boundary between India and China has seen several incidents of face-offs between the troops of both countries.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj, during her visit to Beijing in February, said that the Modi government "is committed to exploring an early settlement".

Yang's visit also comes ahead of Modi's visit to China, being planned for May. Yang also held the previous round of talks on the long running boundary question with then NSA Shivshankar Menon.