Beijing:
China on Friday said President Xi Jinping’s maiden visit to India has given a “great boost” to bilateral ties and the two sides should control and manage border disputes in a manner that does not impede growth of their relationship.
“We believe that this visit is of great importance and gives great boost to bilateral ties between the two countries in a new historical era,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a media briefing here, outlining the salient features of Xi’s visit to India.
“Xi said on border issues, the two sides should continue with friendly coordination and pursue an equitable and fair solution that is acceptable to both the countries,” Hong said talking about the Chinese President’s talks with the Indian leadership.
“Before the final settlement, the two sides should control and manage the disputes and maintain peace and prosperity of the border so that it will not influence the development of bilateral ties. The Indian side agreed to work with China to properly handle border issues and find a way to resolve the border issue as soon as possible,” he said.
Asked about Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s suggestion that both sides should clarify the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to contribute to the peace and tranquility along the border, Hong said “as for the border issue you mentioned the leaders pointed a way out for solving this problem.”He said the leaders of the two countries exchanged views and reached important consensus on the strategic cooperative partnership for peace, prosperity, to maintain high level exchanges and to give full play to its strategic role.
“They agreed to respect each other’s concerns and deepen mutual trust. Prime Minister Modi said ‘Tibet is integral part of China and India does not allow any separatist activities in India’,” Hong said.
He also outlined the agreements reached on trade, investment and other areas during Xi’s visit.
An editorial in the state-run China Daily on Xi’s visit termed India and China as natural partners.
“The bonhomie, the leaders have displayed is an inspiring sign that the shadow of the past will not be a hurdle in the way of better bilateral ties,” the editorial said.
“If China-India relations are not yet what Modi once portrayed as ‘two bodies, but one spirit’, they are clearly closer to what they should be,” it said.
“The complementary economic structures of the two giant neighbours have inspired many in China to dub the two as ‘natural partners for cooperation’,” it added.
The editorial noted that even with the enormous potential, the present volume of China-India trade, is a mere tip of the iceberg.
