“China and India should stick to the perception that the two countries are cooperative partners, not competitors and rivals, and both countries are opportunities for each other’s development, not threats,” said Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian
National flags of China and India
China on Monday said Beijing and New Delhi should maintain the “right strategic perception” and view each other as cooperative partners rather than rivals, stressing that the two countries present opportunities for each other’s development rather than threats.
Responding to a question about comments made by Russian President Vladimir Putin on Sino-India relations and Moscow’s efforts to maintain close ties with both countries, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian during a media briefing in Beijing, said, “China and India should stick to the perception that the two countries are cooperative partners, not competitors and rivals, and both countries are opportunities for each other’s development, not threats.”
Referring to the current state of bilateral ties, Lin said the border situation between India and China remained generally stable and that communication channels between the two sides were functioning smoothly.
The comments came days after Putin, during an interaction with heads of leading global news agencies, spoke about relations between China and India and Russia’s engagement with both Asian powers.
Lin reiterated Beijing’s position that the two neighbours should continue to manage differences through dialogue while advancing cooperation and maintaining stability along the border.
“The two sides need to view and handle the bilateral relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective, enhance mutual trust and expand cooperation, properly handle differences and promote sound and steady development of China-India relations,” PTI quoted Lin as saying.
Addressing India’s concerns over China’s close ties with Pakistan, Lin said Beijing supports India and Pakistan in resolving their differences through dialogue and consultation while jointly maintaining regional peace and stability.
On relations among India, China and Russia, Lin said the three countries are major emerging economies and that stable ties among them serve not only their respective interests but also global peace, security and stability.
He added that China is willing to maintain communication with Russia and India to advance trilateral cooperation.
Lin’s remarks came after Putin, during an interaction with heads of leading global news agencies, praised both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping and underscored Russia’s strong ties with New Delhi and Beijing.
“This is a delicate, multi-faceted relationship between India and China, and interfering into them is not a good idea. Of course, we interact with both our friends – both India and China,” Putin said in response to a question from PTI CEO and Editor-in-Chief Vijay Joshi.
“President Xi and Prime Minister Modi are both trying to resolve all the issues of mutual interest, including the border issue,” Putin said.
Emphasising Moscow’s balanced approach in Asia, Putin said Russia’s partnerships with India and China had evolved naturally over decades and were independent of one another.
He stressed that closer ties with New Delhi do not come at Beijing’s expense, just as Russia’s deep relationship with China does not undermine its longstanding partnership with India.
With inputs from agencies
Source: https://www.firstpost.com