Doklam handling shows importance of India-China ties: Wang
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said India and China's strategic interests outweigh "partial frictions" and handling of the Dokalam standoff through diplomatic means reflects the importance of bilateral ties.
Ahead of his visit to India to attend the Russia-IndiaChina (RIC) foreign ministers' meeting to be held in New Delhi during which he would also hold talks with top Indian officials, Wang said China always values good neighbourliness and friendship between the two countries as "we are each other's big neighbours and ancient civilisations".
He said India-China strategic interests outweigh differences and "partial friction". "We have handled the issue of cross-border incursions by the Indian border troops into China's Donglang (Dokalam) area through diplomatic measures," Wang told a symposium here last week, maintaining Beijing's stand. "Through diplomatic means, the Indian side withdrew its equipment and personnel which reflected the value and importance of China-India relations and demonstrated sincerity and responsibility of maintaining regional peace and stability," he said in his speech in Chinese posted on the website of the foreign ministry.
"China and India have far greater shared strategic interests than differences, and far greater needs for cooperation than partial friction," he said. As long as China and India continue to engage in in-depth strategic communication and promptly dispel strategic misgivings, the strategic value of bilateral cooperation will be presented more clearly to the people, there will be a "prospect of the dragon and the elephant dancing together with 1 + 1 = 11 outlook," Wang said.
The references to India by Wang were part of a lengthy speech about China's diplomatic achievements in 2017 and its relations this year with various countries including the US, Russia, Japan and countries in the disputed South China Sea region. Wang's visit to New Delhi is the first by a top Chinese official to India after the 73-day Dokalam standoff and after the commencement of the second five-year term of President Xi Jinping. The over two-month Dokalam standoff ended on August 28 after Chinese troops stopped building a key road close to India's 'Chicken Neck' corridor. This visit is expected to be followed by top Chinese diplomat Yang Jiechi later.