Common interests outweigh India-China differences: Chinese Foreign Minister

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday said that India›s common interests far outweigh the differences between New Delhi and Beijing. Wang Yi was speaking to the Indian ambassador to China Pradeep Kumar Rawat when he commented on strained ties between both the countries.

In the meeting with Ambassador Rawat, who assumed charge of India›s top office in March this year, Wang Yi said that the two sides should support rather than undermine each other, strengthen cooperation rather than guard against each other, and enhance mutual trust rather than be suspicious of each other. 

Emphasising that the two sides should meet each other halfway to push for stable bilateral relations, Wang Yi further said that both sides should jointly address various global challenges, and safeguard the common interests of the two countries as well as the vast number of developing countries.

Calling on both sides to adhere to the important strategic consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, he insisted on placing the border issue in a proper

position within bilateral ties, adding that China and India should also give full play to their traditional advantages in people-to-people and cultural exchanges, continuously expand mutually beneficial cooperation, and work together to create a better future for mankind. 

The ties between both countries are witnessing a slump since April-May 2020 when the Chinese side undertook several attempts unilaterally to alter the status quo along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector. Despite several rounds of talks, both sides have not been able to fully resolve the border question. 

The talks between Wang Yi and ambassador Rawat came along the same lines as Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s virtual participation in the BRICS Business Forum.