NEW DELHI – India is willing to work with China to develop relations basedon commonalities, while dealing with differences on the basis of mutualrespect and sensitivity to each other’s interests, the external affairsministry said on Friday.
The comments by Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Raveesh Kumarcame a day after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing said India andChina should shed suspicion and manage differences by meeting halfway,suggesting toning down of tough Chinese posture against New Delhi after thetense Doklam standoff.
Asked about the remarks, Kumar said as two major countries and largeeconomies, relations between India and China are not just importantbilaterally, but also have regional and global significance.
During the meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping inXiamen in September last year, the two leaders had agreed that sounddevelopment of relations between India and China were a factor of stabilityamidst today’s global uncertainties, and that the two countries should notallow their differences to become disputes, he noted.
“Since then, both sides have maintained regular exchanges at all levels,which have helped in strengthening bilateral communication. We are willingto work with the Chinese side to develop our relations based oncommonalities, while dealing with differences on the basis of mutualrespect and sensitivity to each other’s interests, concerns andaspirations,” Kumar said.
Asked how China views relations with India this year after turbulence inties in 2017 due to a number of issues including the Doklam standoff, Wanghad called for both the countries to shed confrontationist stance on issuesof differences.
“The Chinese dragon and Indian elephant must not fight each other but dancewith each other,” he had said, adding that “if China and India are united,one plus one is not equal to two but eleven”.
“Despite some tests and difficulties, the China-India relationshipcontinues to grow,” Wang said.