Beijing, April 9 (IANS): China acknowledged on Thursday that it had disputes with India over the eastern section of the border between the two countries, but assured of cooperating with India to find a solution to the boundary question.

“It is a fact that China and India have disputes over the eastern section of the China-India boundary,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying told reporters on Thursday.

“The Chinese side holds a consistent and clear stance on the China-India boundary question. Joint efforts shall be made to maintain peace and tranquility of the border areas and create conditions for the constant progress of the boundary negotiation,” she said.

Hua said that China was always positive about resolving the boundary issue with India.

She noted that Chinese President Xi Jinping, during his visit to India last September, had said that China was determined to resolve the boundary question at an early date through friendly consultations with India and was sincere about making joint efforts to maintain peace on the border, pending a final settlement.

“It is the shared responsibility of the Chinese and Indian governments and the common aspiration of the two peoples to resolve the boundary question at an early date,” Hua said, adding that “both sides have made tremendous efforts over the years” to solve the boundary issue.

“The Chinese side is ready to work in concert with the Indian side to push forward the process of negotiation and strive to reach a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution at an early date,” Hua said.