Himalaya Harbinger, Rudrapur Bureau
China is ready to work with India in the “spirit of looking to the future and pursuing win-win cooperation”, and place the border issue in an appropriate position within bilateral relations, Wang Lei, Chargé d’Affaires at the Chinese Embassy said Tuesday.
While speaking at the Chinese New Year reception, Wang pointed out that 2025 marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between China and India, saying New Delhi was one of the first countries to “recognise New China and the first non-socialist country to establish diplomatic relations with New China”. He said China-India relations maintain healthy and stable development, which is in line with the fundamental interests of the people in both countries and the region’s historical trend of common development.
“We stand ready to work with the Indian side, in the spirit of looking to the future and pursuing win-win cooperation, to invest our valuable resources into development and revitalisation, and place the border issue in an appropriate position within bilateral relations. We should jointly maintain peace and tranquillity in border areas, forge a path for the neighbouring countries to coexist in harmony, and create a better future together. We will hold dozens of celebratory activities for the 75th anniversary and look forward to your participation. Together, we will write new stories of China-India friendship,” he said
President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi held a meeting in Kazan, Russia, in October last year, and the two sides agreed to step up strategic communication, safeguard peace and tranquillity in the border areas, and strive to bring the bilateral relationship back to the track of stable development at an early date, he said. Wang said the two leaders viewed bilateral relations from a “strategic and long-term perspective, and pointed the way forward for the improvement and development of bilateral relations at a critical moment”.
“Last December, the 23rd meeting of the Special Representatives for China-India Boundary Question was held in Beijing. Based on the important common understandings reached by the two leaders, both sides had substantive discussions on the China-India border issues and agreed on a six-point consensus,” said the Chinese envoy.
Festive offer
Wang also pointed out that the economic and trade exchanges between China and India have become closer, with trade volume reaching $126.6 billion in the first 11 months of 2024, registering a year-on-year growth of 1.9 per cent. “People-to-people exchanges have seen rapid growth, and the Chinese Embassy and Consulate Generals in India issued 280,000 visas to Indians last year,” he added.
India and China completed the disengagement process in eastern Ladakh last year, and are working towards de-escalation and de-induction of troops, after four and half years of border standoff.
