NEW DELHI, Apr 11: China has positively reacted to the Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s call for “urgently addressing the prolonged situation” on the India-China border and has said “sound and stable ties” serve the common interest of both the countries.
Mr Modi made the remark about the Chinese border in an interview to an US-based magazine this week breaking his silence on India’s ties with China and standoff at the LAC which has been going on since April 2020. He had called for the two sides to “urgently address the prolonged situation on our borders so that the abnormality in our bilateral interactions can be put behind us.”
“I hope and believe that through positive and constructive bilateral engagement at the diplomatic and military levels, we will be able to restore and sustain peace and tranquillity in our borders,” the PM had added.
The Chinese ministry of foreign affairs spokesperson Mao Ning said at a media briefing on Thursday that Mr Modi’s comments had been “noted” and that “sound and stable China-India relations serve the common interests of both sides and are conducive to peace and development of the region and beyond.” Ms Mao added, however, that the boundary question did not “represent the entirety of China-India relations and it should be placed appropriately in bilateral relations and managed properly.”
She further reiterated that both countries have maintained close communication through diplomacy and military channels, and have made positive progress when it comes to resolving the border issues.
“We hope that India will work with China, approach the bilateral relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective, keep building trust and engage in dialogue and cooperation, and seek to handle differences appropriately to put the relationship on a sound and stable track,” China’s spokesperson said.
However, India has maintained that there cannot be restoration of normalcy in its relations with China as long as the state of the borders remains abnormal.
Mr Modi in the interview had expressed the hope that through positive and constructive bilateral engagement at the diplomatic and military levels, both India and China would be able to restore and sustain peace and tranquillity at their borders. He also described China’s relationship with India as “important and significant.”
The prime minister said, “It is my belief that we need to urgently address the prolonged situation on our borders so that the abnormality in our bilateral interactions can be put behind us. Stable and peaceful relations between India and China are important for not just our two countries but the entire region and world.”
Earlier, China’s state-run daily termed Modi’s remarks as a “gesture of goodwill,” as the two countries continue to hold talks to resolve the border crisis. Chinese media said, “Modi’s latest remarks could be interpreted as a gesture of goodwill, as the two sides try to find a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement to their border disputes at an early date and turn the final page on them.”
(Manas Dasgupta)
