China and India should handle differences properly, Wang Yi says

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said China and India should handle differences properly and develop mutually beneficial cooperation.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, made the remarks when meeting with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Laos' capital Vientiane on Thursday.

The Chinese foreign minister said in the face of the current complex international situation and severe global challenges, China and India, as two major developing countries and two major emerging economies living next to each other, should strengthen dialogue and communication, enhance mutual understanding and trust.

The two sides should work towards the improvement and steady and sustainable development of China-India relations with a sense of surmounting differences and frictions, Wang said, adding that the relationship has an important impact that goes beyond the bilateral scope.

The improvement of relations should reflect the strategic structure of China and India as two major emerging developing countries, Wang said. The political wisdom of China and India as two ancient civilizations should be reflected in handling their differences, and the unity and cooperation of countries in the Global South should be reflected in addressing global challenges, he added.

It is hoped that the two sides will meet each other halfway, actively explore the right way to get along, and guide all sectors to build a positive understanding of each other, the Chinese foreign minister said.

Wang stressed that the return to the right track of China-India relations serves the interests of both sides and is also the common expectation of countries in the Global South.

Jaishankar said that India and China are the two most populous countries, two major emerging economies and two ancient civilizations with a long history. To maintain the stable and predictable development of relations fully conforms to the interests of both sides and is of special significance to safeguarding regional peace and promoting multipolarity.

India and China have widely intertwined interests and are also facing the shadow brought by the border situation, but the Indian side is willing to find a solution to differences with a historical vision, strategic thinking and an open attitude, and bring relations back to the positive and constructive track, he said.

The two sides agreed to work together to maintain peace in the border areas and push for new progress in the consultation on border affairs.

The two sides said that they will strengthen communication within the East Asia Cooperation Platform, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, the Group of Twenty, BRICS and other frameworks, jointly practice multilateralism, and safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries.

(With input from Xinhua)