Chinese envoy to India Sun Weidong extends Independence Day greetings, hopes two great nations develop with closer partnership

Beijing: The Chinese ambassador to India Sun Weidong on Saturday (August 15, 2020) extended Independence Day greetings to the Indian government and hoped that the two "great nations" develop with closer partnership.

Sun Weidong wrote, "Congratulations to the Indian government and people on Independence Day 2020. Wish China and India, two great nations with ancient civilization prosper together in peace and develop with closer partnership."

Congratulations to the Indian government & people on #IndependenceDay2020. Wish #China & #India, two great nations with ancient civilization prosper together in peace and develop with closer partnership. — Sun Weidong (@China_Amb_India) August 15, 2020

The greetings come amid the border tension between the two countries that escalated on the night of June 15, 2020, when the Indian Army and China's Peoples Liberation Army involved in the violent clashes at the Galwan valley in Ladakh. The skirmish led to the killings of soldiers on both sides.

Recently, Sun had also said in the July issue of the embassy magazine that in any relationship, "there are ups and downs".

He expressed, "The recent border issue and the unfortunate incident between China and India should not detract from the forward-looking vision of the bilateral partnership charted by our two leaders, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi."

"As our frontline troops disengage and the border situation de-escalates, it’s important to underline basic principles that should guide the development of China-India relations," wrote Weidong.

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Modi addressed the Nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort on the occasion of the 74th Independence Day.

During his address, PM Modi also talked about India's borders with Pakistan and China - Line of Actual Control (LAC) and Line of Control (LOC).

He said, "From the LOC to the LAC, whoever has raised eyes on the sovereignty of the country, the country, the army of the country has responded in the same language. Respect for India's sovereignty is supreme for us."

He added, "What our brave soldiers can do for this resolution, what the country can do, the world has seen this in Ladakh."