New Delhi [India], January 9 (ANI): Underscoring the challenges in China-India relations, both nations expressed hoped to effectively manage differences and sensitive issues during the 28th Meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on China-India Border Affairs. Both nations reiterated the need to properly manage and resolve specific issues, rather than allowing them to define India-China‘s bilateral relations.
“We hope to properly manage and handle differences and sensitive issues. Many of the problems in China-India relations are left over from history and will take time to resolve,” a report on the China-India review published by the Chinese embassy in India stated.
The 28th Meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on China-India Border Affairs was held on November 30 last year. It was co-chaired by the Director-General of the Department of Boundary and Ocean Affairs of the Foreign Ministry, Hong Liang and the Joint Secretary of the East Asia Division of the Ministry of External Affairs of India, Gourangalal Das.
The statement further emphasised that both countries need to develop the overall situation of friendly cooperation. “We need to consolidate and develop the overall situation of friendly cooperation between our two countries and properly manage and resolve specific issues in this process, rather than allowing specific issues to define our bilateral relations, so as to promote a more mature and stable relationship between our two countries,” the statement added.
Moreover, the two sides fully affirmed the positive progress made in negotiations on the China-India border situation and had comprehensive, in-depth and constructive discussions on the current China-India border-related issues. Both countries have gone beyond their bilateral scope and acquired global and strategic significance. Moreover, the two sides “maintained communication through diplomatic and military channels to move the border situation from emergency response to normalised management and control.”
Earlier this year, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and BRICS Summit and had a conversation during the BRICS Summit.
Chinese Premier Li Qiang attended the 18th G20 Leaders’ Summit in New Delhi in September. “The two sides maintained communication through diplomatic and military channels to move the border situation from emergency response to normalised management and control,” the statement said.
Highlighting that India and China are eternal neighbours who need to accurately understand each other’s strategic intentions, both nations hoped to “firmly stick to the correct direction of China-India relations.” Moreover, India and China need to support and contribute to each other’s success instead of undermining and doubting each other. “We need to jointly oppose zero-sum games and keep our region away from geopolitical calculations. China and India have the ability and wisdom to find a way for friendly coexistence between neighbouring major countries and jointly create the ‘Asian Century,'” it said.
According to the statement, India and China hope to accelerate the resumption of practical cooperation and deepen it. Further emphasising China‘s second centenary goal and India’s “Amrit Kaal” development goal, it said that these are the biggest strategic objectives for the two countries, respectively. “China-India economic and trade cooperation is mutually beneficial and win-win in nature and an important booster for Make in India and Atmanirbhar Bharat,” the statement highlighted.
“We need to provide a fair, just and non-discriminatory business environment for each other’s enterprises promote bilateral trade facilitation, maintain contacts and exchanges in youth, culture, education, tourism and other fields, work for an early resumption of passenger flights, and continue to enhance mutual understanding and people-to-people bonds,” it added. Moreover, the two sides fully affirmed the positive progress made in negotiations on the China-India border situation and had comprehensive, in-depth and constructive discussions on the current China-India border-related issues. (ANI)
