The sixth round of India-China Special Representative-level border negotiations began Beijing [Images] on Monday on a cordial note with the two Asian giants attempting to conclude a 'package' solution on the vexed boundary issue.

The talks are being held between National Security Advisor M K Narayanan and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo at Diaoyutai State Guest House.

Narayanan and Dai shook hands, exchanged pleasantries and posed for photos before going into an anteroom for an unscheduled informal meeting.

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The informal meeting, which lasted over 45-minutes was followed by a formal delegation-level meeting.

Indian Ambassador to China Nalin Surie and other senior officials from the Ministry of External Affairs are attending the in-camera talks.

Narayanan, who is on his first visit to China, will call on Communist Party Politburo Standing Committee member and Chairman of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference, Jia Qinglin.

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He will also meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Li Zhaoxing during his two-day stay in the Chinese capital.

The special representative mechanism to address the border issue was created during the June 2003 visit of the then Prime Minister, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, to China.

The two sides agreed to each appoint a special representative to explore, from the political perspective of the overall bilateral relationship, the framework of a boundary settlement.