India, China shouldn’t allow boundary dispute to define bilateral ties, says Wang

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi today said India and China had the wisdom to maintain “peace and tranquillity” in the border areas and the two sides “should never allow bilateral relations to be defined by the boundary question”.

Wang was addressing a press conference on the sidelines of the National People’s Congress in Beijing.

Wang said, “We have enough wisdom and capability to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas pending a fair and reasonable solution.”

He said, “We should never allow bilateral relations to be defined by the boundary question, or let specific differences affect the overall picture of our bilateral ties.”

The minister used a French phrase, “pas de deux” — a dance for two people, typically a man and a woman — to describe the partnership between the two nations, saying “a cooperative pas de deux of the dragon and the elephant is the only right choice for both sides”.

Wang called for both countries to work towards each other’s success. Wang is also Beijing’s special representative for the boundary talks.

The Chinese minister said both sides should cooperate rather than guard against each other. “There is every reason for us to support each other rather than undercut each other, work with each other rather than guard against each other. This is the path that truly serves the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples,” Wang said.