India and China friendship will prevail, despite differences

“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.

She 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 Pakistani terrorist and JeM chief Masood Azhar as well as Beijing scuttling India’s entry to the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG).

“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,” she said. 

Chunying added: “Guided by the consensus reached between leaders of the two countries, China will work with India to expand mutually beneficial cooperation, properly manage differences and ensure the sustained and steady growth of China-India relations.”

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

Reacting angrily to a report that Japan plans to sell search and rescue aircraft to India at a lower cost, China on Tuesday said it would consider such a move “disgraceful”, if it is aimed at building pressure on Beijing over the disputed South China Sea issue.