New Delhi: China has said New Delhi and Beijing should “redouble” their efforts “to meet each other halfway” at a time when border tensions between both sides continued to remain high along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh.
“We should follow the guidance of the two leaders (PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping), redouble our efforts to meet each other halfway, strengthen dialogue and exchanges, and overcome difficulties and challenges, in order to put China-India relations on the track of healthy and stable development,” said Sun Weidong, Ambassador of China to India, during the inauguration of an online photo exhibition Tuesday.
Titled ‘Beautiful India Beautiful China: Dragon and Elephant Dance Together for Win-Win Outcomes’, the event was held in Beijing. It is supported by the Chinese Embassy in India, while the main organiser is China Pictorial.
The event was attended by Du Zhanyuan, president of China International Publishing Group, Lin Songtian, president of the Chinese People’s Association for Friendship with Foreign Countries, Professor Wang Bangwei, Director of the Centre for Indian Studies at Beijing University, Sudheendra Kulkarni, political analyst, Professor B.R. Deepak and Professor Srikanth Kondapalli from JNU, among others.
Sun said cultural and people-to-people exchanges form the foundation of the India-China relationship.
“Deepening cultural and people-to-people exchanges is an effective way to remove barriers and suspicions, and promote dialogue and understanding. The cultural exchanges between China and India have enhanced mutual understanding between the two peoples and promoted the development and progress of the two countries,” Sun said.
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‘Friendly cooperation is the mainstream’
Sun also said “friendly cooperation is the mainstream”.
“In the history of exchanges lasting more than 2,000 years between China and India, friendly cooperation has dominated most of the time. The two leaders reached an important consensus that China and India pose no threat, but offer development opportunities to each other,” he said.
“We should grasp the general trend of historical development, fully implement the leaders’ consensus and push forward China-India relations in the right direction,” Sun added.
This comes at a time when forces on both sides of the LAC in Ladakh have been engaged in a border standoff since April that also resulted in the killing of 20 Indian soldiers in Galwan Valley in June.
India has repeatedly said it cannot be business as usual with China unless the escalating tensions at the border are resolved.
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