India, China should jointly uphold peace and stability: Chinese envoy

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India and China should resolve disputes peacefully through dialogues at the regional level and jointly uphold peace and stability, Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong said here Tuesday ahead of the second informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping.

The preparations for the summit in the ancient coastal town of Mamallapuramon near Chennai have come under the shadow of the Kashmir issue as both sides are yet to announce the dates for Xi Jinping’s India visit though it is learnt that he will arrive Friday in Chennai for a nearly 24-hour long trip.

In an exclusive interview to this agency PTI, Chinese envoy Sun Weidong said both India and China should go beyond the model of ‘management of differences’ and work towards actively shaping bilateral relations through accumulation of positive energy and forging greater cooperation for common development.

‘At the regional level, we should resolve disputes peacefully through dialogues and consultations and jointly uphold regional peace and stability,’ Weidong said. He asserted that China-India ties transcend the bilateral dimension and assumed global and strategic significance.

‘The two sides should strengthen strategic communication, enhance political mutual trust, give full play to the irreplaceable guidance of the two leaders in bilateral relations, and ensure the accurate transmission and solid implementation of the consensus reached by the two leaders,’ asserted the envoy.

The ties between India and China came under some strain after India announced withdrawal of Jammu and Kashmir’s special status. China criticised India’s decision and its Foreign Minister Wang Yi even raised it at the UN General Assembly last month.

Days later, Chinese ambassador to Pakistan Yao Jing said that China was working for Kashmiris to help them get their fundamental rights and justice, comments which have not gone down well with New Delhi.

In the Mamallapuramon informal summit, the focus of the talks is likely to be on steps to ensure mutual development and expanding overall ties.

‘We should go beyond the model of differences management, actively shape bilateral relations and accumulate positive energy. We should enhance exchanges and cooperation, promote convergence of interests and achieve common development,’ Sun Weidong stated.

Talking about issues relating to trade, Sun Weidong said China has long been India’s largest trading partner. He informed that since the beginning of the 21st century, bilateral trade has grown from less than USD 3 billion to nearly USD 100 billion, an increase of about 32 times.

‘More than 1,000 Chinese companies have increased their investment in industrial parks, e-commerce and other areas in India, with a total investment of USD eight billion and 200,000 local jobs created,’ Sun pointed out.