This was quickly rejected by New Delhi making it clear that Arunachal Pradesh was 'an integral part of India'.

The two special representatives are likely to focus on bridging the gap on the interpretation of political parameters and guiding principles finalised during Chinese Premier Wen Jiabao's visit to India in 2005.

The talks are aimed at arriving at a framework agreement for resolving the border question.

India and China fought a bitter war in 1962 and are now rapidly expanding their economic ties. They had adopted the special representatives route in 2003 to resolve the border issue from a political perspective after diplomatic negotiations failed to yield results.

India accuses China of illegally occupying 43,180 sq km of territory in Jammu and Kashmir, including 5,180 sq km Pakistan has illegally ceded to Beijing in 1963.

Beijing accuses New Delhi of occupying some 90,000 sq km of Chinese territory, most of it in Arunachal Pradesh.

In making repeated claims over Arunachal Pradesh, Beijing is seen here to be aiming at a maximalist position with an eye on the monastery town of Tawang that it claims on the ground that the sixth Dalai Lama was born there.

The Tibetans, including their spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, have, however, never asked the monastery town to be returned to them.

New Delhi contends that the Chinese claim on Tawang goes against the grain of political parameters and guiding principles, which include not upsetting populated areas in a final settlement.