‘Boundary issue with India does not represent entirety of bilateral ties’: China

While India has been maintaining that its ties with China cannot be normal unless peace prevails in border areas, China on Wednesday said the Sino-India boundary issue does not represent the entirety of bilateral ties.

It also called for enhancing mutual trust between the two countries to “avoid misunderstanding and misjudgement”.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Wang Wenbin, while responding to questions on External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s remarks that the amassing of troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) has “not served either of us well”, said the boundary issue should be placed appropriately in the bilateral ties.

“China has stressed multiple times that the boundary question does not represent the entirety of China-India relations, and it should be placed appropriately in the bilateral relations and managed properly”, Wang said.

Bilateral ties between India and China nosedived significantly following the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in more than four decades.

Earlier on Monday, Jaishankar had said, “It is in our common interest that we should observe the agreements that we have signed. And I believe that it is not just in our common interest, and it is in China’s interest as well. This tension that we have seen for the last four years has not served either of us well.”

Wang, in his reply, said, “Both China and India believe that an early settlement of the situation on the China-India border serves the common interests of both countries. We hope that the two sides will follow the common understanding between the leaders of the two countries and the spirit of relevant agreements, maintain communication through diplomatic and military channels, and find a solution to relevant border issues that can be accepted by both sides at an early date.”

Wang also said China hopes that India will work in the same direction as China and approach bilateral relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective.

“We should enhance mutual trust and avoid misunderstanding and misjudgement. We should step up dialogue and cooperation and avoid setting up obstacles. We should handle differences properly and avoid creating disputes. In this way, we will bring the bilateral relations to a sound and steady track of development.”

The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson also said China’s hope that India can work with China in the same direction, follows the common understandings reached by leaders of the two countries as well as the spirit of relevant agreements, maintain communication via diplomatic and military channels and find a mutually acceptable solution for relevant border issues as soon as possible.