China and India have moved a step closer in setting up a hotline between their two military headquarters as part of their efforts to improve border security mechanisms amidst a border dispute and tensions over anti terror sanctions still marking relations between the Asian giants. China "reacted positively" to the idea of setting up a hotline, the Xinhua news agency quoted defence minister Chang Wan-quan as saying during talks with his Indian counterpart Manohar Parrikar on April 18. Parrikar later said that "the Chinese have returned the draft of the memorandum on establishing a hotline between the two military headquarters. The issue should be closed within one or two months." Chang also spoke highly of the healthy and stable development of China-India relations in recent years, Xinhua reported. The two sides were discussing the move to address tensions arising out of aggressive patrolling by both sides. Xinhua quoted Manohar Parrikar as saying India "hopes to beef up bilateral exchanges and cooperation in all sectors".
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