Chinese Vice President Xi Jinping on Thursday said he hoped for a fair and reasonable framework to settle the boundary issue between China and India at an early date.

"Both should maintain peace and tranquility in the border area before the boundary issue is resolved," said Xi while meeting with Indian National Security Advisor M. K. Narayanan who was?in Beijing?attending the 12th Sino-Indian meeting on the boundary issue.

Xi hoped the framework would be worked out through equal consultation and friendly dialogue and accepted by both.

Chinese State Councilor Dai Bingguo and Narayanan, both special representatives of their respective countries, are co-chairing the meeting on the issue on Thursday and Friday.

China and India share about 2,000 km of border and the boundary has never been formally delimited.

The two began to discuss border issues in the 1980s. To maintain peace and stability in the border area, two agreements in 1993 and 1996 were signed respectively.

In 2003, the heads of government of the two countries designated special representatives for demarcation work.

In 2005, China and India signed an agreement of political guideline on demarcation during Premier Wen Jiabao 's visit to India. The two countries also announced a strategic cooperative partnership.

Xi said the achievement made during the boundary meeting would benefit both sides and increase the mutually strategic trust.

"The two sides should view the bilateral ties with strategic and long-term perspective, and expand the common ground and properly handle the disputes so as to push forward the long-term and stable relations," he added.

He pledged China was committed to developing the strategic and cooperative partnership of peace and prosperity with India, stressing Sino-Indian friendly relations would benefit both, Asia and the world as a whole.

Narayanan said the Indian government also hoped to realize the consensus by the leaders of the two countries to settle the boundary issue at an early date.

He said India attached importance to ties with China and would promote the relationship.

He also congratulated his host on its successful staging of the Beijing Olympics and Paralympics.

(Xinhua News Agency September 19, 2008)