India and China injected fresh momentum into their long-running boundary negotiations as the Special Representatives of the two countries, at their talks yesterday, decided to pursue an “early and substantial harvest” in the delimitation of their disputed frontier.To keep communication smooth between the two militaries, India and China also announced the establishment of two additional military hotline channels at the corps-commander level. These hotlines will cover the Eastern Sector, comprising Arunachal Pradesh and Sikkim, and the Middle Sector, comprising Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.In a statement issued on Wednesday, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) listed the outcomes of the 25th round of boundary-related talks between the designated Special Representatives of the two sides — National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi.The statement said: “The expert group on boundary delimitation and the working group on border management would respectively advance discussions on an ‘early and substantial harvest’ of boundary delimitation and border management.”The first task for both groups would be to agree on their respective terms of reference. The expert group was established after the previous round of talks in August last year, while the group on border management operates under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC).The Tribune had exclusively reported in its August 25 edition that two portions of the disputed boundary were being considered for an “early harvest”. One is the 220-km boundary that India and China share in Sikkim, while the second is the Middle Sector, comprising the 545-km India-China frontier in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.The phrase “early harvest” refers to a relatively less contentious portion of the disputed frontier where an agreement could potentially be reached ahead of a comprehensive settlement of the entire boundary question.Doval and Wang Yi reaffirmed their commitment to the guidance received from the leaders of the two countries — Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping — to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas and create an atmosphere conducive to the healthy and steady development of bilateral relations.MEA reiterated that the 2005 agreement, titled “Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for the Settlement of the India-China Boundary Question”, would remain the guiding framework for resolving the boundary dispute.India and China will use diplomatic and military channels, including WMCC, meetings between local commanders and other agreed mechanisms, to resolve outstanding issues and avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).“The two sides discussed ways to improve understanding of the LAC in appropriate areas to improve border management,” MEA said.