Beijing's envoy claims disengagement in Galwan Valley, says India and China pose no threat to each other

By Anish Kumar | First Published Jul 29, 2021, 9:36 AM IST

"Heightening differences does not help solve problems and only erodes the basis of mutual trust. It would make the differences more difficult and complicated to solve," Chinese ambassador to India Sun Weidong said.

Stating that China and India need to properly manage their differences, Chinese ambassador to India Sun Weidong has said that both countries should consolidate the achieved results and find a solution acceptable to both sides on the border issue to further ease the situation and avoid any recurrence of tensions due to misunderstanding and miscalculation.

Speaking at a webinar on 'Putting People First, Promoting Common Development', Weidong said, "The frontier troops of both nations have disengaged in the Galwan Valley and the Pangong Lake areas."

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In February this year, the troops of two Himalayan giants disengaged from the South Bank and North Bank of Pangong Tso areas. Last year in June, the two sides had a violent faceoff in the Galwan Valley in which 20 Indian Army soldiers lost their lives while inflicting heavy casualties on the Chinese side. The People's Liberation Army, however, admitted to only four deaths on its side.

CPI-M General Secretary Sitaram Yechury, CPI General Secretary D Raja, DMK MP S Senthilkumar and All India Forward Bloc Secretary G Devarajan were also present in the webinar themed 'Sharing Experience on Party-Building, Promoting Exchanges and Cooperation'.

Over differences on boundary issues between the two countries, the Chinese ambassador was of the view that the differences are not and should not be the whole story of China-India relations.

"Heightening differences does not help solve problems and only erodes the basis of mutual trust. It would make the differences more difficult and complicated to solve. We must place the border issue in an appropriate position in bilateral relations and seek a fair and mutually acceptable solution through dialogue and consultations. Both sides should jointly maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas pending final settlement," he said.

He also said that China-India relations are essential for regional and world peace and prosperity.

"We must treat our bilateral relations from a more comprehensive and long-term perspective. China's strategic assessment of India-China relations has not changed. We always believe that both nations should unswervingly adhere to the consensus reached by our leaders, and we pose no threat but offer development opportunities to each other," the envoy added.

Stating that China and India are partners rather than rivals or enemies, he said, "We should help each other succeed instead of undercutting or even confronting each other. We should correctly view each other's strategic intentions, be committed to the principles of mutual respect for territorial integrity, mutual non-aggression, non-interference in each other's internal affairs and mutual respect for each other's core interests."

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