China terms Galwan clash as 'unfortunate', says 'working to handle talks properly'

The Galwan faceoff between India and China during which India lost 20 of its soldiers was "unfortunate", says Chinese Ambassador to India, Sun Weidong. The Chinese Ambassador to India said it was a "brief moment from the perspective of history."

"Not long ago, an unfortunate incident happened in the border areas that neither China nor India would like to see. Now we are working to handle it properly. It is a brief moment from the perspective of history," Sun Weidong said while speaking at China-India youth webinar.

India-China diplomatic relations

Sun Weidong said since the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and India 70 years ago, bilateral relations have withstood tests and become more resilient. "It should not be disturbed by one thing at a time. In this new century, bilateral relations should continue to move forward instead of backward," he said.

The Ambassador was convinced that China and India, two ancient civilizations, have the wisdom and ability to properly handle bilateral relations.

"China sees India as a partner instead of a rival, and an opportunity instead of a threat. We hope to put the boundary question at an appropriate place in bilateral relations, properly handle differences through dialogue and consultation, and push bilateral relations back on track at an early date," the Ambassador said.

Sun Weidong said India and China "should live in peace and avoid conflicts."

"No country can be isolated from the rest of the world and seek development on its own. We should not only adhere to self-reliance, but also stick to opening up to the outside world in line with the trend of globalization. Only in this way can we achieve better development," he said.

The Chinese Ambassador emphasised that the economic complementarity between China and India is very strong. "China has been India''s largest trading partner for many years in a row, while India is also China''s largest trading partner in South Asia. The Chinese and Indian economies are interwoven and interdependent," he said. "I think the two big economies of China and India should attract each other like magnets, rather than forcefully separate them."

The Chinese Ambassador said language learning is indispensable in people-to-people and cultural exchanges between the two countries, which "cannot be ignored, let alone be politicized."

India and China are engaged in a standoff since April-May over the transgressions by the Chinese Army in multiple areas including Finger area, Galwan valley, Hot springs and Kongrung Nala.

Talks on between two sides

The talks between the two sides have been going on for the last three months including five Lieutenant general-level talks but have failed to yield any results, so far.

The Chinese Army has refused to withdraw or disengage completely from the Finger area and seems to be buying time to delay its disengagement from there.

While efforts are underway to resolve the ongoing border dispute, India has rejected the Chinese suggestion to disengage equidistantly from the Finger area in Eastern Ladakh.

Earlier this month, China had expressed hope that India will treat Confucius Institutes in an "objective and fair manner".

In a statement, the Chinese embassy had asked India to avoid politicising normal cooperation and maintain healthy and stable development of China-India people-to-people and cultural exchanges.

The remarks came after India begins a comprehensive review of local chapters of Confucius Institutes and agreements with Indian universities.

(With agency inputs)