The relationship between India and China should not be defined by border disputes, the Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, has said at a media conference.
Tensions between the two Asian powers have been heightened by confrontations and military build-up in the Ladakh region.
Wang blamed India for the tensions, but said that the two countries were ultimately partners rather than adversaries and needed to create ‘enabling conditions’ for the dispute to be resolved.
‘We are committed to settling the boundary dispute through dialogue. At the same time, we are resolved to safeguard our sovereign rights,’ he commented.
India has been concerned about the growth of Chinese military forces and the construction of military facilities, and has sought disengagement. Wang made no comment on this.
He added that the two countries were natural allies and needed to cooperate. ‘Together we can bring greater benefits to the 2.7 billion people in China and India, and make greater contributions to the advent of the Asian Century.’
[Image: Divya Agrawal from Pixabay]