China handled Indian troops' 'trespass' into Dokalam with 'restraint': Foreign Minister Wang Yi

BEIJING: Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said that China handled the Indian troops' "trespass" into Dokalam area with "restraint" and through diplomacy, demonstrating the "value and emphasis" Beijing attaches to its ties with India.

Ahead of his visit to India, Wang said China always values the good-neighbourliness and friendship with India "as we are each other's big neighbours and ancient civilisations." "In the meantime, China is also firm in upholding its sovereign rights and interests and territorial integrity," Wang told a symposium here on Saturday.

"We handled the Indian border troops' trespass into China's Dong Lang (Dokalam) area in our national interest, on just grounds and with restraint," Wang was quoted as saying by the Foreign Ministry which posted an English version of his speech on its website. "Through diplomatic means, we engaged with the Indian side and it withdrew its equipment and personnel," Wang said for the first-time outlining China's approach to ties with India following the Dokalam standoff as well as Beijing's policy in the second tenure of President Xi Jinping.

"This demonstrates not only the value and emphasis we put on relations with India but also our sincerity and sense of responsibility in maintaining regional peace and stability," he said. While Wang claimed Indian troops withdrew from the area on August 28, the Ministry of External Affairs had said both the countries agreed to an "expeditious disengagement" at the face-off site in Dokalam following diplomatic communications.

"We believe that as long as we continue to engage in in- depth strategic communication and promptly dispel strategic misgivings, the strategic value of China-India cooperation will speak for itself, and there will be a prospect of 'the Dragon and the Elephant Dancing Together' and '1+1=11' effect as expected by our leaders," Wang said.

Wang is in New Delhi to attend the Russia, India and China Foreign Ministers' meeting today. His visit to New Delhi is the first by a top Chinese official to India after the 73-day Dokalam standoff and after the commencement of the second five-year term of President Xi.

The Dokalam standoff ended on August 28 after Chinese troops stopped building a road close to India's 'Chicken Neck' corridor. India had objected to the construction highlighting its security concerns. The road was being built by China in an area also claimed by Bhutan. Wang’s visit is expected to be followed by top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi’s trip later this month to attend the 20th round of China-India boundary talks.

Yang and National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval are the designated special representatives for the border talks. Both officials are also mandated to discuss the state of entire gamut of bilateral ties. Both being big developing countries, "China and India have far greater shared strategic interests than concrete differences, and far greater needs for cooperation than partial frictions," Wang said.

In his speech, he also spoke of China's role in South Asia. He said that through shuttle diplomacy, China has encouraged Afghanistan and Pakistan to agree on a bilateral crisis management mechanism. China also made contribution to Afghanistan's domestic political reconciliation and reconstruction and the improvement of Afghanistan-Pakistan relations, he added.

China has ushered in the second "Golden Decade" of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) cooperation, he said. He reiterated that "war is by no means acceptable" in dealing with the nuclear issue related to North Korea, stressing that the possibility of negotiations remains. On ties with the US, he said China is willing, on the basis of mutual respect, to live peacefully with the American superpower.