‘Stable ties serve common interests’: China reacts to Modi’s ‘gesture of goodwill’

Border conflict is “not the entirety” of India-China relations and “sound and stable ties” serve the common interests of both nations, China said on Thursday (April 11), reacting to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks made in an interview to the US’s Newsweek magazine.

In the interview, Modi said ties with Beijing are important for New Delhi and that the “prolonged situation” at the borders should be addressed urgently.

He also expressed hope that through positive and constructive bilateral engagement at the diplomatic and military levels, the two countries will be able to restore and sustain peace and tranquillity at their borders.

The magazine described India’s rise as “unstoppable”.

China “noted” Modi’s remarks

“China noted Prime Minister Modi’s remarks,” Chinese spokesperson Mao Ning told a media briefing in Beijing when asked for her reaction to Modi’s interview.

“Sound and stable China-India relations serve the interests of both countries and are conducive to peace and development in the region and beyond,” she said.

Modi’s interview

In his interview, which is the first to be given to a US magazine in the recent past, Modi said the relationship with China is important and significant for India.

“It is my belief that we need to urgently address the prolonged situation on our borders so that the abnormality in our bilateral interactions can be put behind us. Stable and peaceful relations between India and China are important for not just our two countries but the entire region and world,” he said.

What about border issue?

On the border question, Mao reiterated China’s oft-repeated stand that it does not “represent the entirety of China-India relations, and it should be placed appropriately in bilateral relations and managed properly”.

However, India has maintained that there cannot be restoration of normalcy in its relations with China as long as the state of the borders remains abnormal.

She said both countries maintain close communication through diplomatic and military channels on handling issues related to the border situation and have made positive progress.

“We hope that India will work with China, approach the bilateral relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective, keep building trust and engage in dialogue and cooperation, and seek to handle differences appropriately to put the relationship on a sound and stable track,” she said.

Media welcomes Modi’s “gesture”

Meanwhile, Modi’s remarks were welcomed by the official media in Beijing, which termed it a “gesture of goodwill”.

“In a welcome move that may give a timely boost to the development of peaceful and stable China-India relations, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi has expressed the wish for the two neighbouring countries to ‘urgently’ resolve their long-standing border disputes,” the state-run China Daily said in its editorial.

“Modi's latest remarks could be interpreted as a gesture of goodwill, as the two sides try to find a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement to their border disputes at an early date and turn the final page on them,” it further said.

That the two countries have kept the talks on the ground and the consultation mechanism running provides grounds for optimism that they will be able to not only continue to uphold peace along the border under bilateral agreements and protocols but also begin a new chapter of friendly bilateral relations, the editorial said.

Frozen ties

The relations between India and China have been frozen except for trade ties ever since the eastern Ladakh border standoff erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong Tso (lake) area.

The two sides have so far held 21 rounds of corps commander-level talks to resolve the standoff.

According to the Chinese military, the two sides so far agreed to disengage from four points, namely the Galwan Valley, the Pangong Lake, Hot Springs, and Jianan Daban (Gogra).

India is pressing the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to disengage from the Depsang and Demchok areas, maintaining that there cannot be restoration of normalcy in its relations with China as long as the border issue remains tense.

(With agency inputs)