NEW DELHI, Jan 16: Starting their 15th round of boundary talks here on Monday, China told India its policy of friendship was not based on momentary expediency and that there was no truth in reports that it some day planned to attack the South Asian neighbour.

`Our Indian friends may have confidence in China`s tremendous sentiment of friendship towards India,` China`s State Councillor Dai Bingguo said in a written statement.

`While working hard to develop itself, China is fully committed to developing long-term friendship and cooperation with India. It is our genuine hope that Indiawill enjoy prosperity and its people, happiness.

There does not exist such a thing as China`s attempt to `attack India` or `suppress India`s development.

China will remain committed to the path of peaceful development. It will develop itself by upholding world peace and contribute to world peace through its development.

As Mr Dai and India`s National Security Adviser Shivshankar Menon met for the first session of their two-day talks, All India Radio said the focus would be on a boundary management mechanism to enable real-time resolution of any violations of the rugged Himalayan Line of Actual Control.

`The focus of the talks between the two special rep-resentatives will be on confidence-building amid some contentious issues that have shadowed bilateral ties in the past few months,` India`s state-run radio added.

`They are also expected to work out the details of a pact on the border mechanism, likely to be signed on Tuesday.

Besides the boundary issue, the two sides will also hold discussions on a wide range of bilateral, regional and global issues that will include the global financial crisis, climate change and the BRICS summit of India, Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa which New Delhi will host in March.

They are also expected to discuss the likely visit to India of Mr Xi Jinping, who will succeed ChinesePresident Hu Jintao.

`Our two countries have seized the historic opportunity of economic globalisation and achieved fast development. We are now the two largest emerging countries in the world and play increasingly important roles in regional and international affairs,` Mr Dai said.

He was happy to note that since the beginning of the new century, the China-India Strategic and Cooperative Partnership for Peace and Prosperity has continued to grow rapidly, and their friendly cooperation has yielded fruitful results. The trade volume between our two countries has grown from $2.9 billion in 2000 to $61.7 billion in 2010, a 20-fold increase in 10 years.