[ KJM Varma ]
BEIJING, 12 Apr: China and India have made “great positive progress” to resolve the border standoff, with both sides maintaining close communication, a senior foreign ministry official said here on Friday.
Foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning’s remarks were further elaboration on China’s reaction to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s recent statement in which he said that for New Delhi, ties with Beijing are important and the “prolonged situation” at the borders should be addressed urgently.
In an interview with Newsweek magazine, Modi expressed hope that through positive and constructive bilateral engagement at the diplomatic and military levels, the two countries will be able to restore and sustain peace and tranquillity at their borders.
“About the border issue, I can tell you that China and India are remaining in close communication through diplomatic and military channels and great positive progress has been made,” Ning told a media briefing here responding to a question on Modi’s interview to Newsweek.
“We also believe that a healthy China and India relations serve the interests of the two countries,” she said.
“China hopes that India will work in the same direction with China to properly manage the differences and promote the bilateral relations forward on a healthy stable track,” Ning said.
This is the second time in as many days that China has reacted to Modi’s interview.
“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,” Modi said in his interview.
“Stable and peaceful relations between India and China are important for not just our two countries but the entire region and world,” he said.
Ning while responding to a question on Modi’s interview on Thursday said that China noted Prime Minister Modi’s remarks.
“Sound and stable China-India relations serve the interests of both countries and are conducive to peace and development in the region and beyond,” she said.
On the boundary question, Ning on Thursday reiterated China’s oft-repeated stand that it does not “represent the entirety of China-India relations, and it should be placed appropriately in bilateral relations and managed properly.”
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.
Ning said that both countries maintain close communication through diplomatic and military channels on handling issues related to the border situation and have made positive progress.
“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,” she said. (PTI)
