MUMBAI, 2 Aug: Chinese Consul General in Mumbai Kong Xianhua has said that his country is ready to work with India to bridge the gap between the people of the two neighbours, recalling the Indian help during the Sino-Japanese war.
The senior diplomat on Thursday visited the Indian Coast Guard headquarters (west) to express gratitude to the maritime security agency for saving Chinese mariners over the past two years, an official statement said.
Xianhua met Indian Coast Guard (West) Commander Inspector General (IG) Bhisham Sharma, and said that China is ready to work with “India friends” to bridge the gap between the people of the two countries and strengthen friendship.
“… our two peoples will walk together like brothers and sisters,” he said.
The Indian Coast Guard and the Indian Navy jointly carried out a successful rescue mission to evacuate a Chinese mariner who was critically injured and suffering heavy blood loss on 24 July, the statement said.
He said that the Indian Coast Guard has saved three Chinese mariners in the consular district of the consulate general alone over the past two years.
Xianhua said, “These rescue missions not only fulfil the (Coast Guard’s) motto of ‘Vayam Rakshamah (We Protect)’, but also demonstrate the common philosophy of people first, life first in both China and India.”
Sharma said that, over the past decade, the Indian Coast Guard has saved 27 Chinese citizens. (PTI)