China never views India as a strategic rival or strategic competitor, Chinese Ambassador to Bangladesh Li Jiming has said.
Speaking at a press club in Dhaka, the envoy said India and China can closely work together to resolve any economic, geopolitical, and other issues. "We never view India as a strategic rival or strategic competitor of China," he was quoted as saying by The Dhaka Tribune.
This remark comes a few days after the Chinese envoy to India, Sun Weidong said that both India-China should break out of the "geopolitics trap" and find a new path that is different from the past.
Sun, who assumed office in July 2019, in his farewell remarks on Tuesday, stressed the need to resolve differences between the two sides and uphold the principle of non-interference in other's internal affairs.
He said it is only natural for important neighbours China and India to have some differences but the key is how to handle the differences. "We should be aware that the common interests of the two countries are greater than differences," the Chinese envoy said.
"...the two sides should strive to manage and resolve differences, and look for a proper solution through dialogue and consultation, instead of defining China-India relations by differences. The two countries need to respect each other's political systems and development paths, and uphold the principle of non-interference in each other's internal affairs," he said.
Since April 2020, India and China have had several rounds of diplomatic and military level meetings on the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), in the India-China border areas.
India, on many occasions, has conveyed to China said that bilateral relations cannot be normal unless the border situation is.
On Wednesday, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar met the outgoing Chinese envoy to India and emphasized that peace and tranquillity in the border areas are essential to maintaining bilateral ties.
"Received Ambassador Sun Weidong of China for a farewell call. Emphasized that the development of India-China relations is guided by the 3 Mutuals. Peace and tranquillity in the border areas is essential," Jaishankar tweeted after meeting ambassador Sun.
"The normalization of India-China relations is in the interest of both countries, of Asia and the world at large," he said in another tweet.
( With inputs from ANI )
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