India, China Begin New Border Talks

India and China have begun a new round of talks in New Delhi aimed at resolving a long-running Himalayan border dispute.

India's foreign minister Pranab Mukherjee says his country is ready for what he calls a positive transformation in its relations with China.

The border dispute has been simmering since a brief war between the two nations in 1962.

India claims 38-thousand square kilometers of Chinese-controlled land in the Kashmir region. China, in turn, claims some 90-thousand square kilometers in the Indian-ruled state of Arunachal Pradesh.

India's foreign ministry says this round of talks will end Thursday, at which time a formal statement will be made.

More than 200 Tibetans protest in the Indian capital on Wednesday, the organizers submitted a memorandum to the Indian Prime Minister on the occasion to request that the welfare of Tibetans be not forgotten during their border talks between India and China and that, Tibetans will not accept any such border talks if the Tibetan equation is not taken into consideration.