China committed to resolve border dispute with India, protect sovereign rights, interests: Wang Yi
Beijing: China’s State Councillor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Sunday said China was committed to settling boundary dispute with India through dialogue and consultation but at the same time, it resolved to safeguard its sovereign rights and interests.
“China’s position is very clear. We are committed to settling the boundary dispute through dialogue and consultation. At the same time, we have resolved to safeguard our sovereign rights and interests,” he told reporters on the sidelines of the fourth session of the 13th National People’s Congress in Beijing.
He said the right and wrongs of what happened in the border area last year were clear, adding, “It again proves that initiating confrontation will not solve the problem.”
Wang Yi said that was important that two sides manage disputes properly and at the same time expand and enhance cooperation to create enabling conditions for the settlement of the issue.
The state councilor said returning to peaceful negotiation was the right way forward, adding, “It falls on both sides to solidify existing consensus, strengthen dialogue and communication, and improve various management mechanisms to jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border area.”
He remarked that the China-India relationship was essentially about how the world’s two largest developing countries get along and pursue development and rejuvenation together for years.
“As two ancient civilisations next door to each other and as two major emerging economies with each over one billion people, China and India have broad common interests and tremendous potential for cooperation for both,” he added.
He opined that domestically, the both the countries face the historic mission of bettering people’s lives and accelerating growth, adding, “Internationally, the world expects us both to safeguard common interests of developing countries and advancing multipolarity in the world.”
On many important issues, he said, the positions of the two countries were the same or close due to similar national realities. Therefore, China and India were each other friends and partners, not threats or rivals. The two sides needed to help each other succeed instead of undercutting each other.
“We should intensify cooperation instead of harbouring suspicions at each other. The boundary dispute, an issue left from history, is not whole story of the China-India relationship,” he added.
Wang Yi said, In the year ahead, we hope India will work with China to truly deliver on important common understanding reached by our leaders that both are not threats to each bother but opportunities for each other’s development.”
“Together, we can bring great benefits for 2.7 billion people in China and India and make great contributions for the advent of the Asian Century, he added.
It may be mentioned here that the relations between India-China had reached a dead end in last year due to standoff at Ladakh.
However, after several rounds of talks between the two countries on diplomatic and military levels, now the disengagement is taking place but is incomplete especially at the borders and post Pangon
