Indian national security adviser Shivshankar Menon went to Beijing the week before last to have his last formal meeting with his Chinese counterpart, State Councilor Dai Bingguo, who will be retiring in March next year.

When they had met earlier this year in January, the two had decided to come up with a joint record of negotiations and to look at the future trajectory of these talks. The aim of the latest talks was to ensure continuity with Dai's successor.

After the meeting, Menon suggested that the two sides have now reached a "common understanding" on the progress made so far in the border talks that will provide a framework for drawing a "fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable" boundary. This was basically another way of saying that nothing substantive was achieved and the talks would continue in fits and starts.