Keep border issue in 'proper place': China to India

NEW DELHI: Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang told his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar China is willing to speed up resumptions of exchanges with India in various fields, including resuming direct flights at the earliest date and facilitating people-to-people exchanges, but also reiterated Beijing's position that the boundary issue be kept in the "proper place'' in the ties.
A Chinese readout of Qin's meeting with Jaishankar on Thursday also claimed the latter told Qin that the current situation at the border is "gradually stabilising'' while seeking joint efforts to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas.
While India wants the disengagement process in eastern Ladakh to be completed at the remaining friction points before resuming bilateral exchanges, China continues to maintain the boundary issue should not be allowed to come in the way of bilateral ties.
Jaishankar had told Qin that Sino-Indian ties were "abnormal'' and there was a need to address this. India has maintained there can be no normalcy in ties without peace in the border areas.

According to a Xinhua report, Qin also said situation in the border areas should be brought under "normalised management'' as soon as possible. Qin told Jaishankar that both sides should implement the important consensus of the leaders of the two countries, maintain dialogue and properly resolve disputes, and promote the improvement of bilateral ties.
As neighboring countries and major emerging economies, China and India have far more common interests than differences, Qin said.
The development and revitalisation of China and India display the strength of developing countries, which will change the future of one-third of the world's population, the future of Asia and even the whole world, according to Qin.
Watch "Discussed challenges, including border peace..." Jaishankar on bilateral meet with Chinese FM