New Delhi: China on Friday said its border issues with India should be put in a proper place in bilateral relations. The Chinese statement comes a day after the Chinese Foreign Minister Qin Gang met India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Minister's summit taking place in the capital. In a statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Qin Gang said, "The boundary issue should be put in the proper place in bilateral relations". He further noted that the situation at the borders should be normalised on an immediate basis.
Attributing the development of both countries to an increase in the strength of developing nations, the minister observed that it would play a key role in changing the future of one-third of the world's population of Asia "and even the whole world". He also said that the two sides should review their relationship through currently persisting background changes, focus on bilateral relations while keeping an emphasis on the improvement of conditions in their respective countries while progressing on the road towards modernisation.
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Qin Gang reiterated that both nations should implement key decisions agreed upon by respective heads of state, keep a steady flow of dialogue and see to a proper dispute-resolve mechanism while at the same time promoting the improvement of relations. China is willing to speed up the resumption of exchanges and cooperation with India in various fields, resume direct flights at the earliest date and facilitate people-to-people exchanges, the statement quoted the Chinese FM as saying. Significantly, he also added that China was willing to speed up exchanges and cooperation, including people-to-people exchanges, resume direct flights and was also ready to strengthen communication to safeguard common interests.
Meanwhile, EAM Jaishankar, after meeting his Chinese counterpart, told the media that talks revolved around the state of the relationship between the two countries, "which many of you heard me describe as 'abnormal', those were among adjectives that I used in the meeting". He based the remark on 'real problems' existing between the two sides, which 'needed to be looked at and discussed very openly and candidly'. "The thrust of the meeting was on our bilateral relationship and the challenges in it especially that of peace and tranquility in border areas", he added.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry statement quoted Jaishankar referring to both India and China being very ancient civilisations and important partners of each other, which, he said, were fully capable of achieving positive results on both economic and people-to-people basis. The External Affairs Minister also thanked China for its support of India's G20 presidency.
