Chinese Consul General: India and China Must Bridge Differences

Kolkata: New Chinese Consul General in Kolkata, Xu Wei, has asserted that his country and India are “partners and not rivals” and must remove differences between them.

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Mr Wei was replying to queries from the media about border issues between the two nations on the sidelines of a reception hosted by him on Tuesday evening.

He earlier told the gathering, “As neighbours, both China and India boast time-honored civilizations. We are also the two largest developing countries and major emerging economies, and both are at a critical stage in national development and revitalization. A sound and steady China-India relationship is in the interest of both countries and conducive to the peace and development in this region and the world.”

The Chinese diplomat observed, “Looking forward, the Chinese side is ready to work with the Indian side to act in accordance with the important consensus reached by our two leaders, enhance political trust, manage differences properly, advance mutually beneficial cooperation, and move bilateral relations forward along the right track.”

Referring to the growth in the China-India bilateral trade, Mr Wei added, “Facts have proved that "decoupling" is not in the fundamental interests of the two countries, and it is wise to work together and benefit from development opportunities. We will continue to build bridges for practical cooperation between China and India and facilitate friends from eastern India to visit China for trade and business cooperation. We hope that India can also provide more convenience to Chinese business people travelling to India for business opportunities.”