Beijing cautions India over border issues BEIJING, Feb. 27 (UPI) -- Chinese officials have urged India to work peacefully with China to maintain stability and settle outstanding demarcation disputes along their border. Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told journalists in Beijing that China has had a consistent policy on Sino-Indian border issues, including disputes regarding the eastern section, a report by China's Xinhua news agency said. China advocates seeking a fair and rational solution through equal and friendly negotiations, Hong said. He called on India to refrain from taking any action that could complicate issues, the Xinhua report said. Hong's comments were prompted by the recent visit of Indian officials and politicians including Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to Arunachal Pradesh celebrate the state's silver jubilee -- 25 years as a state, Xinhua said. An article in The Times of India said China is wary of what appears to be a public relations strategy by New Delhi to win over the people of the Arunachal state which shares borders with China, Myanmar and Bhutan. "Put simply, Beijing doesn't want the (Indian) central government to become more popular with the people of Arunachal Pradesh as it would make it difficult for China to press its claims over the region in future," The Times of India said. Last week Indian Defense Minister A.K. Antony launched five-day celebrations in the state capital Itanagar by promising financial infrastructure assistance. "Arunachalese are fiercely patriotic and yield to none in their love for the motherland," Antony said. We are aware of the challenges that people living in border areas face and it is our collective duty to ensure that our border areas are as developed as any other part of the country. Antony promised to raise a second Arunachal Scouts Battalion militia and complete an airstrip for security purposes, The Times of India reported. He also announced the central government would help set up a National Institute of Mountaineering and Adventure Sports at Dirang in West Kameng district. The isolated state in northeastern India has much hydro electricity generation potential, which, if developed, could be sold to the neighboring states to help the Arunachal treasury. But the challenge is distribute the wealth equitably among the state population, Antony said. China and India have many disputed areas along their 2,000-mile border, including along the Indian Jammu and Kashmir state. In November, New Delhi lodged a diplomatic protest with China after a map used in a commercial presentation showed sections of northern India as part of China. The map was in a brochure produced by the Chinese company Tebian Electric Apparatus and was noticed by journalists at a media presentation for the company's investments in China. TBEA, a power transformer maker, was announcing a $400 million investment in the western Indian state of Gujarat, a report by the Economic Times of India said at the time. At the presentation was Chinese Ambassador to India Zhang Yan and several other senior Chinese officials. The map depicted the state of Arunachal Pradesh and parts of the state Jammu and Kashmir as Chinese territory. The Chinese ambassador said it was "a technical" error to show part of India as Chinese but that he would look into it. The countries have been attempting set up negotiating committees to head off border disputes that could flare up into open conflict. In January China and India signed an agreement in New Delhi to establish a committee to investigate border issues. However, it not a forum for resolving boundary demarcation, a report by Xinhua said. The main aim of the committee is to strengthen exchanges and cooperation between military personnel and establishments of the two sides in the border areas so no misunderstanding become military clashes, the Xinhua report said.