China, India to honor line of actual control before settling border issue

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang said Tuesday that China and India should respect and "strictly honor" the line of actual control prior to the final settlement of the border issue.

Qin made the remarks at a regular press conference here in reply to a question about Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to India, the last leg of his South Asian tour. Qin described the premier's India visit beginning on April 9 as "successful and fruitful."

The spokesman said: "One of the most important outcomes of Premier Wen's India visit is that China and India signed an agreement on political guiding principles on solving the border issue."

"This is a sign that we have taken the settlement of the border issue to a new stage as well," said the premier Tuesday in New Delhi.

Qin said both sides agreed to seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the border issue through equal and friendly consultations, according to the principles.

They also agreed the final settlement of the border issue will greatly improve bilateral good-neighborly friendly cooperative ties, said Qin.