Border issues should not be linked to bilateral relations between China and India, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said on Friday, in response to questions about the recent remarks made by Indian Minister of External Affairs Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on India-China relations.
China commended Jaishankar’s rational voice, which stressed the Sino-India relationship’s significance, Zhao said at a routine press conference on Friday.
Jaishankar’s remarks demonstrated the importance India attaches to the bilateral relationship, Zhao said.
“I also want to emphasize that border issues should not be linked to bilateral relations between China and India, which is an important experience for the continuous development of the relationship between the two countries over the past years,” Zhao noted.
In a virtual keynote speech at the All India Conference of China Studies on Thursday, Jaishankar said the relationship between India and China is at a “crossroads,” according to Indian media.
Ties between the two countries grew steadily with China becoming a major trade partner and… a very substantial destination for tourism, Jaishankar said, but also noted that “there will always be divergences and differences,” reported Delhi-based newspaper Mint on Thursday.
“We hope that India will work with China in properly managing differences, stepping up practical cooperation and bringing bilateral relations back on the right track,” Zhao said.
Zhao Lijian
