China on Tuesday favoured an equitable and fair solution to the boundary issue with India, saying it should not be allowed to hamper progress in bilateral ties.

Both sides believe that they should proceed from the perspective of overall interests of the two countries to find an equitable and fair solution acceptable to them, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Qin Gang told reporters in Beijing [Images] at the end of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's [Images] three-day visit.

The two sides also agree that before settling the boundary issue, they should maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas and "not to let the border issue be an obstacle to the development of bilateral ties."

Wrapping up his three-day visit, Singh expressed confidence that the political parameters and guiding principles agreed by the two countries in April 2005, to seek a settlement of the boundary question, would guide them to a mutually satisfactory solution of this issue.

"The boundary between the two countries is peaceful and we are both determined to keep it so," Singh told scholars at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences, a premier think-tank of China.

Singh said India was satisfied with the results so far and was convinced that the potential for India-China relations was great and would be realised.

The Special Representatives of the two countries, National Security Advisor M K Narayanan and Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Dai Bingguo, met in Beijing to take forward the dialogue process during informal negotiations. The two sides have so far held 11 rounds of talks on the vexed issue.

Qin said Singh's visit and talks here were a reflection of the political will of both sides to press ahead with their bilateral ties. India and China view their ties from a strategic and long term perspective.