China, India are ‘backbone’ of world’s multipolarisation, economic globalisation: Xi
Wuhan, Apr 28 :President Xi Jinping said China and India are the “backbone” of the world’s multipolarisation and economic globalisation, and the two countries should jointly make positive contributions to the global peace and development.
Xi, who hosted an unprecedented two-day “informal summit” with visiting Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the central Chinese city of Wuhan, said that China and India are both important engines of the world economic growth.
“As the two largest developing countries and emerging-market economies with a population level of more than one billion, China and India are the backbone of the world’s multipolarisation and economic globalisation,” he said.
A good China-India relationship is an important positive factor in maintaining world stability and is of great significance to the promotion of the development of all mankind, Xi was quoted as saying by China’s state-run Xinhua news agency.
Socialism with Chinese characteristics has entered a new era and Modi also proposed the goal of building a “New India”, he said, adding that on the road to development and revitalisation, China and India face similar tasks.
“We must firmly focus on development, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, and jointly realise national rejuvenation to jointly create a stable, prosperous and prosperous 21st century in Asia and jointly make positive contributions to the world peace and development,” Xi said.
His statement assumes significance amid moves by the west, particularly the US, to take protectionist measures that have hit countries like China and India.
China and India should be good neighbours and good friends. They should regard each other as an “active factor” in the change of world power and be used as a partner to realise their dream of development, Xi said.
The development of China and India is the “trend of the times” and an important opportunity for each other and both China and India should pursue an independent foreign policy, he said.
“We must adopt a positive, open and inclusive attitude and correctly analyse and view each other’s intentions,” Xi said.
“China and India have many similar ideas in international affairs. When dealing with relations between major powers, China insists on strategic autonomy, insists on not conflict and confrontation, and building a new type of international relationship that is based on mutual respect, fairness and justice, and win-win cooperation.
“This is in line with the five principles of peaceful coexistence (Panchsheel) jointly advocated by China and India in the 1950s,” the Chinese President said.
The talks between Modi and Xi focussed on diverse areas of India-China cooperation.
The ‘heart-to-heart’ summit between Modi and Xi is being seen as an effort by India and China to rebuild trust and improve ties that were hit by the 73-day-long Dokalam standoff last year.
China will not push India on BRI: Vice Foreign Minister
Wuhan, Apr 28 : China today said there is no fundamental difference with India on the issue of “inter-connectivity” and Beijing will “not be too hard” with New Delhi on the issue of the Belt and Road Initiative (BRI).
The BRI, a multi-billion-dollar initiative launched by President Xi Jinping when he came to power in 2013, has become a major sticking point in the bilateral ties. The BRI also includes the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC) which India opposes as it goes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.
At the end of the two-day informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi in the central Chinese city, Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Kong Xuanyou said, “we feel that there is no fundamental difference between China and India on the issue of supporting inter-connectivity.”
“The Indian side does not exclude this cooperation. It is also continuing to advance on interconnection. India is also a founding member of the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB). It is the second largest shareholder of our region,” Kong said.
“As for whether India accepts the expression Belt and Road, I think it is not important and China will not be too hard on it,” he said.
India had boycotted last year’s Belt and Road Forum organised by China.
The BRI, a pet initiative of President Xi, is aimed at promoting network of roads, ports and rail networks all over the world to spread China’s influence.
Kong said both China and India seek a fair settlement of their border dispute.
The two countries will also enhance military and security communication mechanisms, Kong said, referring to the India-China boundary issue.
Leaders of the two countries believe that China and India are friends and the development of China-India relations is trend of the times, he said.
Regarding the bilateral cooperation, the two sides agreed to sort out the existing mechanisms between the two countries to make communication between the two countries more effective, start bilateral negotiations as soon as possible, further expand bilateral trade, promote cultural cooperation and exchanges between the two countries as a whole, seeking fair and reasonable solution of border issues, he added.
To a question on Tibet, Kong said “the position of the Indian government is that Tibet is an inalienable part of China. This has not changed. In the process of promoting mutual political development, it is also an important political consensus reached by both sides.”
He said there was no disagreement between the two leaders at the meeting.
“The two sides can handle these issues on the consensus reached,” he said.
China and India are both major global powers in this region. In the process of contact between the leaders of the two countries, it is inevitable to talk about the relationship between the two countries, and it is also a question that will inevitably be touched upon, Kong said.
To another question, he said both China and India pursue the idea of sharing and building a global governance.
“China-India relations are are not targeted at third parties. They will never engage in obsolete and out-of-date zero-sum games. They will not engage in closed and exclusive circles,” he said.
“Sino-Indian relations will not be affected by other factors, either China or India. Both are major powers with great influence. Positive communication among great powers has injected positive factors into regional and world peace and stability,” he said.
