Border issue casting shadow on bilateral ties: Indian envoy to China

Beijing: Amid the ongoing discussion between two neighbours on the border issue, Indian Ambassador to China Vikram Misri on Tuesday (October 18) expressed hope that both countries can resolve the border issue which is "casting a shadow" on bilateral relations.

In an interview with Global Times, the India ambassador added that both India and China are two large countries in the world and have historical records of engagement and cooperation, which "have been largely positive for the last 30 years."

"The discussions are going on and we hope that both sides can resolve this (border) issue because it is casting a shadow on bilateral relations," Misri said on the sidelines of the 1st BFA Global Economic Development and Security Forum in Changsha.

During the 13th commander-level talks earlier this month, India had put forward constructive suggestions but the Chinese side was not agreeable.

At the media briefing last week, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said that India expects the Chinese side to work towards early resolution of all the remaining issues on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

"We had put forward constructive suggestions during the 13th round of the India-China Corps Commander-level meeting, for resolving the remaining areas but the Chinese side was not agreeable. I would not like to characterise it any particular way except to say that two sides have agreed to maintain communications, and to maintain stability on the ground," he said.

He had said that resolution of the remaining areas and restoration of peace and tranquillity would facilitate progress in overall bilateral relations. Last month, Vikram Misri had said that "shifting of goalposts" should be avoided in bilateral relations as they serve as an obstacle that could block progress.

Speaking at a virtual dialogue organised by a Chinese university, Misri argued that challenges like the COVID-19 pandemic, reviving economies and sweeping technological transformations, have only served to amplify the importance of India-China relations.

He had said the recent experience between the two countries suggests that at the ground level, when managing a difficult situation, finding a resolution hinges on mature minds, and consistency between words and actions.

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