China on Thursday said it would resort to "friendly and equal" consultations to find a "fair and rational" solution within the framework of the political guiding principles to the Sino-Indian boundary dispute.

"We hope to resort to equal consultation and then find a fair and rational solution acceptable to both parties," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters in Beijing [Images] at a weekly briefing when asked to comment on the India-China negotiations on the boundary issue.

Qin noted that Sino-Indian relations are currently developing smoothly. In the greater context of international relations between the two countries, the two sides have decided to resolve the border issue on the basis of friendly and equal consultation, he said.

This principle is also manifested in the consensus reached between the leaders of the two countries during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to India in 2005, he noted.

He pointed out that the Chinese and Indian governments have reached consensus on the political guiding principles for resolving the boundary issue and on the basis of these guidelines, the two sides have held several rounds of consultations.

During the seventh round of boundary negotiations in New Delhi and Kumarakom from March 11 to 13, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo led a delegation and held consultations.

During the consultations, the two sides reiterated the guidelines and held a practical and active attitude to push forward for progress in the consultation for the border issue, Qin said.

The two sides agreed to hold the next round of consultation on the border issue as soon as possible.

The next round of India-China border talks will be held in China and the specific dates would be decided through diplomatic channels, the spokesman added.

India says China is illegally occupying 43,180 sq km of Jammu and Kashmir [Images] including 5,180 sq km illegally ceded to Beijing by Islamabad under the Sino-Pakistan boundary agreement in 1963.

On the other hand, China accuses India of possessing some 90,000 sq km of Chinese territory, mostly in Arunachal Pradesh.