China and India have agreed to set up a top level hotline during a Beijing visit by India's foreign minister, who also discussed regional security with his Chinese counterpart.

Indian Foreign Minister S.M. Krishna began his four-day visit on Monday -- scant months after tempers flared over reports of border incursions and a row over the Dalai Lama's visit to the disputed frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh.

But Indian Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao told reporters the trip had gone well, and both sides were pleased with the new mechanism connecting the Chinese and Indian Prime Ministers, which could help prevent dangerous flare-ups in future.

"These have been cordial, useful, constructive and wide-ranging discussions," she told a news conference in Beijing.

"The agreement to establish a hotline is an important confidence building measure and it opens up a direct channel of communication between the two leaders."

Plans for a hotline were made by Chinese President Hu Jintao and Indian Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at a summit last year of the BRIC group of nations -- Brazil, Russia, India and China, Rao said. The group is due to meet again next week in Brasilia.

During Krishna's meeting with Chinese counterpart Yang Jiechi, regional security -- particularly in volatile Afghanistan -- and the threat of terrorism were among key issues discussed.

"Foreign Minister Yang said that both China and India should stay in touch on these issues and remain in regular contact... particularly on Afghanistan," said Rao, a former Indian ambassador to Beijing.

Rao said the trip had also underlined the importance of cooperation on a wider range of international issues.

"What came across during these discussions was that this relationship between the two countries has more than just a bilateral dimension, it has a global impact, and that a long-term strategic view is required of this relationship."

The foreign ministers did not discuss a recently-released report that a cyber-espionage group apparently based in southwest China stole documents from the Indian Defence Ministry and emails from the Dalai Lama's office, Rao said.

The report by Canadian researchers said the spy network was likely run by individuals with connections to the Chinese criminal underworld. Information might have been passed to branches of the Chinese government, it added.

Beijing has repeatedly and strongly denied it condones hacking in any way, pointing out that its ministries and companies are also frequently targeted.


Reuters