One last push on border row before China changeover

India and China will make one last attempt at making progress on the border question before a new leadership takes over in Beijing. "The issue was mentioned in the context of the ongoing dialogue between the two countries,’’ Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai said while briefing newspersons on a 40-minute meeting between Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao on the sidelines of the Association of South East Asian Nations summit and associated meetings here on Monday morning. With Mr. Wen retiring in March, the two leaders went down memory lane recalling their long association spanning seven years and 14 meetings, besides focusing on economic issues. Dr. Singh noted the elaborate dialogue architecture between the two countries – four meetings between Foreign Ministers in one year besides several two-way high level visits – and pointed out this had branched out into new areas such as dialogue on west and central Asia. Asked whether the East Asia Summit would discuss the South China Sea dispute, Mr. Mathai said the Prime Minister had emphasised that this forum was important for accelerated economic development and enhancing the economic interests of all participating countries.