China to India: Keep focus on broad ties, not border dispute

Beijing, April 21: China said on Wednesday that it was committed to maintain peace and stability along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) as it urged India to put the boundary issue at an “appropriate position” and meet it “halfway” for the long term development of the bilateral ties.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said this at his media briefing as he parried questions on India’s assertion that consensus reached by the leaders on maintaining peace along the border cannot be swept under the carpet.

Indian ambassador to China Vikram Misri in his recent address to the IndiaChina dialogue forum said that the significance of the consensus reached between leaders of the two countries to maintain peace along the LAC cannot be “swept under the carpet” and called for the complete disengagement of troops in Eastern Ladakh to rebuild bilateral ties strained by the “serious incidents”.

In a candid address to the ICWA (Indian Council of World Affairs)-CPIFA (Chinese People’s Institute of Foreign Affairs) virtual dialogue on April 15, Mr Misri also questioned the Chinese officials ignoring the “significant consensus” reached by the leaders of the two sides about maintaining peace along the LAC.