Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong called for mutual respect and understanding between the two countries, stressing the need for peaceful coexistence, while speaking at China’s National Day celebrations in Delhi,.
The comments come two weeks after Chinese President Xi Jinping visited India for the BRICS Summit, his first visit to the country in seven years. The visit was seen as an indication that the two countries were seeking to reset bilateral ties. Xi met Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in New Delhi as India and China sought to reset ties.
“As two ancient civilisations, China and India have sufficient political and historical wisdom to handle differences properly,” Xu said. He said China remained committed to a “dual-track approach” to bilateral relations and border issues, with progress on both tracks reinforcing each other. The ambassador also stressed the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas to ensure that bilateral ties continue to “advance on the right track”. After the bilateral meet, India said the two countries must ensure that “differences should not become disputes”. The border issue did featur in bilateral talks with both Xi and Modi expressing their “commitment to a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable resolution”, the MEA said. “Prime Minister emphasised that peace and tranquillity in the border areas remains an essential basis for the continued development of bilateral relations,” the MEA statement read following the meeting.
