On August 13, 2022, Chinese Ambassador to India H.E. Sun Weidong held a round-table briefing on Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives Nancy Pelosi’s visit to China’s Taiwan region. At the briefing, Ambassador Sun Weidong also introduced China’s position on China-India relations. Journalists from Hindustan Times, The Times of India, The Indian Express, The Hindu, The Press Trust of India (PTI), Asian News International(ANI), India Writes, Xinhua News Agency and China Media Group(CMG) attended the briefing.
Ambassador Sun said, China and India are important neighbors to each other, both are ancient civilizations, largest developing countries and emerging economies. China and India have a combined population of over 2.8 billion and account for one third of humanity. If China and India speak with one voice, the whole world will listen. If China and India strengthen cooperation, we can promote peace, stability and development of the world. The leaders of the two countries reached important consensus that “China and India should not be a threat to each other, but an opportunity for each other’s development”, and “be cooperation partners to each other instead of being competitive rivals”, which has pointed out direction for our bilateral relations. The Chinese side has always viewed and handled China-India relations from a strategic and long-term perspective. Even when the relationship between the two countries faces difficulties, China’s position has never wavered and we have been committed to pushing it back on the track of healthy and steady development.
Ambassador Sun said, this year, President Xi Jinping sent a congratulatory message to H.E. Droupadi Murmu on her inauguration as President of the Republic of India. Both of our leaders attended the 14th BRICS Summit. State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi paid a working visit to India. State Councilor Wang met with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar twice, and exchanged in-depth views on improving bilateral relations. The bilateral relations have overall shown a recovery momentum. Our bilateral trade witnesses a growth, and the process has begun for Indian students’ return to China to resume their studies. I believe, as long as China and India grasp the importance of our bilateral relations, and jointly move towards the same goal, there will be more positive progress.
Ambassador Sun said, at present, facing the combined forces of changes and a pandemic both unseen in a century, both China and India stick to the general direction of multilateralism, share the same or similar positions on many regional and international issues, and have common interests in improving global governance, energy and food security, and responding to climate change, etc. President Xi Jinping puts forward promoting the building of a community with a shared future for mankind. India advocates “Vasudhaiva Kutumbakum” (the world being one family) as well. We should draw strength from our ancient civilizations, promote mutual understanding and support, continuously uphold and advocate the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and the Bandung Spirit initiated by the two sides, share oriental wisdom with the world, so as to jointly maintain stability of the international order, promote regional peace and tranquility, and boost the recovery of the world economy, and to achieve common development and revitalization.
Regarding the China-India border situation, Ambassador Sun said, since the border incident in 2020, the two sides have kept the diplomatic and military channels open, and held 10 meetings of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on Border Affairs (WMCC) and 16 rounds of Corps Commander Level Meeting. We have disengaged in most points of the western sector, and the current border situation is overall stable. Not long ago, China and India held the 16th round of Corps Commander Level Meeting and issued a joint press release. Building on the progress made at the previous meeting, the two sides continued discussions for the resolution of the relevant issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector in a constructive and forward looking manner.
Ambassador Sun said, China’s position on the boundary question between China and India is clear and consistent. It is left over from history. China always maintains that a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement should be reached by the two sides through consultation and negotiation. Pending an ultimate resolution of the boundary question, the two sides should jointly maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas. As a next step, the two sides should follow the important consensus reached by the state leaders and the agreements reached by both sides, keep dialogues via diplomatic and military channels and work out a mutually acceptable solution to the remaining issue in line with the principle of mutual and equal security, and strive to switch from emergency response to normalized management and control of the border situation. Maintaining peace and tranquility in the border areas serves the common interests of both sides and requires joint efforts of two sides.
In response to the questions regarding the bilateral trade deficit and the Indian government’s investigations towards Chinese enterprises in India, Ambassador Sun said that China and India are important trading partners. Last year, despite the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, the bilateral trade volume exceeded 120 billion US dollars, which fully demonstrates the strong complementarity of the Chinese and Indian economies. China-India economic and trade cooperation is mutually beneficial and win-win in essence. If there is a market need, then there will be trade. China has never pursued a trade surplus and has always conducted bilateral trade in accordance with market principles. The Chinese market is open to India and China is willing to import more marketable and competitive products from India. We welcome Indian companies to attend the Fifth China International Import Expo. Recently, there has been a batch of Indian businessmen returning to China and resuming their business by a chartered flight. The investments of the Chinese enterprises in India cover various fields including household appliances, construction machinery, automobiles, mobile phones, medicine, and they also undertake infrastructure projects in India. The Chinese enterprises have created plenty of local employment,and made contributions to economic and social development of India. The Chinese government always requires the Chinese enterprises to operate overseas in accordance with the laws and rules, and also firmly supports Chinese enterprises in safeguarding their legitimate rights and interests. We have noted that the Indian side has recently taken a series of actions against some Chinese companies in India. Harming other’s interest will not bring one any benefits. We hope that the Indian side could provide an open, fair and non-discriminatory business environment for market entities from all countries including Chinese enterprises.
Regarding Indian students returning to China for their studies, Ambassador Sun said, China is ready to strengthen international cooperation against COVID-19, make COVID control measures more targeted and well-calibrated on the premise of ensuring safety against COVID infections, including steadily improving visa and COVID testing policies, further resuming and increasing international passenger flights in an orderly way, and advancing outbound commerce and trade activities and cross-border travel for labor services in a prudent and orderly manner, so as to promote personnel inter-flow and exchanges and cooperation between China and the world. We welcome the return of foreign students including Indian students to China and will make corresponding arrangement. The relevant departments in China and India have been in contact and made progress in this regard. The concerned departments in both countries will stay in close communication and work for the early return of the first batch of Indian students to resume studies in China. Chinese Embassy and Consulates General in India are ready to provide facilitation.
In his sum-up remarks, Ambassador Sun put forward four-point approach to promote the development of China-India relations:
First, both sides should grasp the right direction. We should view China-India relations from a higher and long-term perspective, respect and understand each other, enhance mutual trust and jointly push forward a sound and stable development of bilateral relations.
Second, both sides should enhance communication and cooperation. China and India are neighbors and we will remain so forever. The two countries need sound external environment to develop themselves. We should keep in mind the fundamental interests of our two peoples, seek mutual success instead of mutual attrition, and promote mutual beneficial cooperation in an open and inclusive attitude.
Third, both sides should properly manage and control differences. It is normal for neighbors, like China and India, to have differences, yet the differences are not the whole story of the bilateral relations, nor should the China-India relations be defined by them. We should abide by the guidance of the consensus between the two leaders, conduct in-depth and candid communication, properly manage differences so as to avoid misunderstanding and miscalculation.
Fourth, both sides should cooperate in multilateral forum closely. Today’s world should not go backwards to the law of the jungle which puts the weak at the mercy of the strong, or to zero-sum game and winner taking all. China-India relations have regional and global influence. The two countries should jointly uphold the international system with the United Nations at its core, the international order underpinned by international law and the basic norms of international relations based on the purposes and principles of the UN Charter. China and India should adhere to the independent foreign policy, stand firm for fairness and justice, safeguard the common interests of developing countries, and make international relations just and equitable,cooperative and win-win for all.
