NEW DELHI: Asking India to bear in mind the overall interests of the “long-term” development of China-India relations, China reiterated Wednesday that the boundary issue be placed at an appropriate position in bilateral relations.
The remark by the Chinese foreign ministry was in response to queries on Indian ambassador to China, Vikram Misri’s comment that there was a tendency to sweep the border issue under the carpet. Misri had also said there was a need to respect each other’s concerns and sensitivities.
“We hope that the Indian side will work with China to meet each other halfway, bear in mind the overall interests of the long-term development of China-India relations, place the boundary issue at an appropriate position in bilateral relations and bring China-India relations back to the track of sound and steady development,” said spokesperson Wang Wenbin, adding that China’s position on the China-India boundary issue was consistent and clear-cut.
Asked about the pending disengagement in remaining areas, the official said India should “cherish the hard-won de-escalation of the situation” in the border areas and uphold peace and tranquility in the border areas with concrete actions. He said China was committed to maintaining peace and stability in the border areas and firmly safeguarding national territorial sovereignty and security.
“Recently, China and India have maintained close communication through diplomatic and military channels. On the basis of realizing disengagement in the Galwan Valley and the Pangong Lake area, the two sides have had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on promoting the settlement of the remaining issues in the western sector of the China-India boundary,” said Wang.
In his recent address to the India-China dialogue forum, Misri had said the significance of the consensus reached between leaders of the two countries to maintain peace along the LAC cannot be “swept under the carpet” and called for the complete disengagement of troops in Eastern Ladakh to rebuild bilateral ties strained by the “serious incidents”.