India and China began a first round of talks today to seek a solution to a decades-old border dispute that has strained relations between the world's two most populous nations.
The nuclear-armed neighbours, who fought a brief border war in 1962, have been negotiating since 1998 to map exactly where their 3,500-kilometre border lies - but with little success.
New Delhi and Beijing agreed to talks between their political envoys when Indian Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee visited China in June - the first visit by an Indian prime minister in a decade - in a new push to settle the border dispute.
The day-long talks between Indian National Security Adviser Brajesh Mishra and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo in New Delhi are the product of that meeting.
Analysts say although today's round of talks is unlikely to achieve dramatic results, it would lay the ground for regular meetings between the two envoys to help seal a pact.
