NEW DELHI: Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi on Friday said that the “boundary question” and specific differences between India and China must not dictate the bilateral relations between the two countries.While addressing his annual press conference in Beijing, Yi said that Indo-China relations made positive strides over the past year after the successful meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping at Kazan in Russia.”As two ancient civilisations, we have enough wisdom and capability to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas pending a fair and reasonable solution to the boundary issue,” Yi said.”We should never allow bilateral relations to be defined by the boundary question or specific differences to affect the overall picture of our bilateral ties. China believes that as the largest neighbours, both countries should be partners in each other’s success,” he added.The Chinese foreign minister said that the Xi and PM Modi provided strategic guidance for the improvement of ties at the Kazan meetingAfter this, both sides earnestly followed through on the important common understanding of the leaders, “strengthened exchanges and practical cooperation at all levels and achieved a series of positive outcomes”, he added.This comes months after India and China completed the contentious disengagement process in Depsang and Demchok in Eastern Ladakh, bringing to an end the 54-month-old military standoff in the area, a giant step towards normalisation of bilateral tie.After the finalisation of the pact, Modi and Xi held talks in Kazan on October 23. In the meeting, the two sides decided to revive the various dialogue mechanisms.After that, national security advisor Ajit Doval and Wang held the 23rd Special Representatives (SR) dialogue in Beijing on December 18.On January 26, foreign secretary Vikram Misri travelled to the Chinese capital and held talks with his Chinese counterpart Sun Weidong under the framework of the ‘Foreign seccretary-vice minister’ mechanism.’We have the responsibility to take the lead’On the ongoing tariff war with US, Wang said that as important members of Global South, India and China must put up joint opposition against hegemonism and power politics””A cooperative partnership between the dragon and the elephant is the only right choice for both sides. There is every reason for us to support each other rather than undermine each other or undercut each other,” he said, adding that both the countries “should work with each other rather than guard against each other,” Yi said.”This is the only path that truly serves the fundamental interests of the two countries. As important members of the Global South, we have the responsibility to take the lead in opposing hegemonism and power politics” he added in apparent reference to the United States.The remarks came after a recent meeting between external affairs minister S Jaishankar and his counterpart, Wang Yi, during which Jaishankar praised the cooperation between the two countries in multilateral forums, especially the G20.
‘Boundary issues shouldn’t define bilateral relations’: China’s offer to India amid tariff stand-off with US | India News
