China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that Beijing’s relations with India had made positive strides in the past year and the meeting between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kazan last year provided strategic guidance for the improvement and development of the bilateral ties. Yi said it’s in the best interest of the two nations to work together.
“Both sides have earnestly followed through on the important common understandings of our leaders, strengthened exchanges and practical cooperation at all levels, and achieved a series of positive outcomes. China and India are each other’s largest neighbours. China always believes that the two should be partners that contribute to each other’s success. A cooperative pas de deux of the dragon and the elephant is the only right choice for both sides,” said Wang Yi.
“As important members of the Global South, we have the responsibility to take the lead in opposing hegemonism and power politics. We must not only safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of our countries but also uphold the basic norms governing international relations. When China and India join hands, the prospects for greater democracy in international relations and a stronger Global South will improve greatly,” said Yi.
In a lengthy press note, Yi said that as the two largest developing countries, China and India have a shared task to accelerate their countries’ development and revitalization. “There is every reason for us to support each other rather than undercut each other, work with each other rather than guard against each other. This is the path that truly serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples,” said Yi.
Yi said that India and China are two ancient civilizations and the two countries have enough wisdom and capability to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas ‘pending a fair and reasonable solution’.
“We should never allow bilateral relations to be defined by the boundary question, or let specific differences affect the overall picture of our bilateral ties,” said the Chinese foreign minister.
Wang Yi said this year marks the 75th anniversary of China-India diplomatic relations. “China stands ready to work with India to sum up past experience, forge a path forward, and advance China-India relations on the track of sound and stable development,” he said.
India has also been working to improve its ties with China. On February 21, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar expressed satisfaction after meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa. Additionally, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri visited China, engaging in discussions on various aspects of the bilateral relationship, including border management and other key areas.
