India a partner, not rival: China calls for stronger ties
Beijing says the two countries should view each other’s rise as an opportunity rather than a threat, even as it voices support for stronger engagement among China, India and Russia.
China on Monday described India as a “cooperation partner, not a competition rival” and said the two countries should view each other’s rise as an opportunity rather than a threat, even as it voiced support for stronger engagement among China, India and Russia.
Responding to remarks by Russian President Vladimir Putin that India and China were working to resolve outstanding issues, including the boundary dispute, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Lin Jian said maintaining stable ties among the three major Eurasian powers was in their collective interest and beneficial for global stability.
“China, Russia and India are all emerging economies. Maintaining sound relations is not only in the respective interests of the three countries but also conducive to regional and global peace, security, stability and prosperity,” Lin said.
In a significant articulation of Beijing’s current approach towards New Delhi, Lin said the situation along the India-China border was “generally stable” and that communication channels between the two sides remained smooth.
“China and India need to have the right strategic perception that the two countries are cooperation partners, not competition rivals, and are opportunities, not threat, for each other's development," he said.
The spokesperson said both countries should handle bilateral ties from a long-term strategic perspective, deepen mutual trust, expand cooperation and properly manage differences to ensure the steady development of relations.
The remarks come amid a gradual improvement in India-China ties following efforts by both sides to stabilise the relationship after the prolonged military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
On India-Pakistan relations, Lin reiterated Beijing's longstanding position, saying China supported the two countries in resolving differences through dialogue and consultation and in jointly maintaining regional peace and stability. Separately, Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong voiced support for dialogue between India and Pakistan, saying the two neighbours should work towards resolving their differences through consultation.
“India and Pakistan are and will always be each other’s neighbours. They are important neighbours of China as well. China welcomes and supports India and Pakistan in properly settling differences and seeking fundamental solutions through dialogue and consultation,” Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong wrote on X.
The remarks come amid severely strained relations between New Delhi and Islamabad following years of cross border terrorism emanating from the Pakistani soil.
