Friendship with India will prevail over differences and problems: China

China vowed to work with New Delhi to expand mutually beneficial cooperation and ensure steady growth of bilateral ties.

It is natural for China and India not to see eye-to-eye on some issues, but friendship will prevail over ”problems”, China said on Tuesday as it vowed to work with New Delhi to expand mutually beneficial cooperation and ensure steady growth of bilateral ties.

File photo of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping. (PTI File Photo)

“China-India strategic partnership of cooperation has made all-round progress these years. The two countries are marching toward the goal of building a closer partnership of development,” Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said.

Hua was reacting to foreign secretary S Jaishankar’s remarks that sanctioning of well-known terrorist leaders and organisations besides developmental issues like access to cooperation and investments in the field of civil nuclear energy should not emerge as points of difference with a “partner” like China.

Jaishankar was referring to China blocking India’s bid to get a UN ban on Pakistan-based terrorist and JeM chief Masood Azhar as well as Beijing scuttling India’s entry in the Nuclear Suppliers Group.

“It is only natural that China and India, neighbours and two major countries, do not see eye-to -eye on some of the issues. But in the bilateral relationship, friendship and cooperation prevail over differences and problems,” Hua said.

Jaishankar had said that China is expected to be appreciative of India’s interests, especially when they are not in conflict with those of Beijing, and noted that it is imperative for the future of Asia and the world, that the two nations approach each other with strategic maturity.

He had said that bilateral ties with China were “complicated” but stressed that one should not approach the relationship as a zero sum game.