Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Tuesday stressed that a sound and stable China-India relationship serves the fundamental interests of the two peoples and is also the common expectation of developing countries.
Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made his remarks at the 24th round of talks between the Special Representatives of China and India on the Boundary Question in New Delhi.
Wang, who is the Chinese special representative for the boundary question, held comprehensive, in-depth and productive discussions with Shri Ajit Doval, India’s national security adviser and special representative for the India-China boundary question.
Wang pointed out that the important consensus reached by the two leaders during their Kazan meeting has charted the course and provided strong impetus for improving China-India relations and properly addressing the bilateral boundary issue.
Since the beginning of this year, bilateral ties have returned to a steady path of development, and the border situation has continued to stabilize and improve, the top Chinese diplomat said.
“As two major neighbors and two major developing countries, China and India share similar visions and broad common interests. Mutual trust and mutual support should define the relationship between two major emerging countries,” Wang noted.
He underlined that China attaches great importance to Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming visit to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Summit in Tianjin, and looks forward to India’s positive contribution to the success of the event.
Wang urged two sides’ joint efforts to follow the strategic guidance of their leaders, adopt a dual-track approach in handling bilateral ties and the boundary issue.
He also called for increasing mutual trust through dialogue, expanding exchanges and cooperation, and working toward reaching consensus on issues such as border management, boundary negotiations and cross-border exchanges.
Such efforts will help properly resolve specific issues, achieve further progress, and create favorable conditions for the sustained improvement and development of bilateral relations, Wang added.
Doval, for his part, said that the Kazan meeting between the two leaders marked a turning point for India-China relations as mutual perceptions between the two sides have seen positive changes, border areas have remained peaceful and stable, and the relationship has made breakthrough progress.
In a turbulent international environment, both India and China face common challenges, making it necessary to enhance understanding, deepen trust and strengthen cooperation, which is vital for the well-being of both peoples as well as world peace and development, said Doval.
He reaffirmed that India firmly adheres to the one-China policy.
Noting this year marks the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and China, Doval said Prime Minister Modi looks forward to visiting China for the SCO Tianjin Summit. Doval believes that Modi’s visit will inject new momentum into bilateral ties.
India supports China, as the rotating chair, in hosting a successful summit, and stands ready to maintain communication and dialogue with China in a pragmatic and constructive manner, continuously creating conditions for the final settlement of the boundary question, he added.
The two sides exchanged views on the early outcome of boundary negotiations and reiterated their commitment to giving full play to the role of the mechanism of the Special Representatives of China and India on the Boundary Question.
They agreed to explore a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement on the basis of the political guiding principles reached in 2005 and in the spirit of mutual respect and mutual understanding. At the same time, the two sides will strengthen regular border control and jointly safeguard peace and stability in border areas.
The two sides also agreed to hold the 25th round of talks between the Special Representatives of China and India on the Boundary Question in China.
