File picture of Shiv Shankar Menon
National Security Advisor Shiv Shankar Menon on Monday held talks in Beijing with his Chinese counterpart and other senior Chinese diplomats on various bilateral issues, including border.
Mr Menon, who arrived in Beijing on Sunday on a three-day visit, met Dai Bingguo at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse and the two officials along with their delegations and held talks on the border dispute as well on other issues.
He is also expected to meet some of China's new leaders elected during the last month's Congress of the ruling Communist Party of China to succeed the outgoing administration headed by President Hu Jintao.
The NSA is expected to call on Vice Premier Li Keqiang, the number two leader in the seven-member new Standing Committee of the party, headed by General Secretary Xi Jinping, who succeeded Mr Hu.
Mr Li is tipped to succeed Premier Wen Jiabao when he steps down in March after which a new administration headed by Mr Xi would assume power formally. Mr Menon and Mr Dai are designated as Special Representatives for the talks to resolve the border dispute.
Their meeting was not formally notified as 16th round of border talks apparently due to Mr Dai's impending retirement.
Successor to Mr Dai, who in Chinese hierarchy is called the State Councillor, was expected to be announced soon.
Besides talks with Chinese leaders, Mr Menon will also release the book of Chinese translation of the works of Prof P C Bagchi, regarded as India's most eminent scholar on Chinese culture. He would also deliver a talk on India-China relations at the Indian Embassy here on December 4.