New Delhi: The Chinese foreign ministry has appreciated Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “positive” statement on India-China relations during his conversation with MIT researcher and American podcaster Lex Fridman.
Responding to a question in a press conference, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said, on Monday, that the successful meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Modi in Kazan last October provided strategic guidance for the improvement and development of the bilateral ties.
“Both sides have earnestly followed through on the important common understandings of our leaders, strengthened exchanges and practical cooperation at all levels, and achieved a series of positive outcomes,” Ning said.
“Let me stress that in the two-thousand-year-plus history, the mainstream of China-India interactions has been friendly exchanges and mutual learning. This greatly contributes to the progress of civilizations and humanity. As the two largest developing countries, China and India have a shared task to achieve respective development and revitalization, and should understand and support each other, and help each other succeed,” she added.
During a three-hour-long conversation with Fridman, Modi spoke on a number of issues that drew eyeballs, including India’s relations with China. Acknowledging past conflicts, including the 2020 Ladakh border standoff, Modi said that the two countries should engage in a “healthy and natural” competition and ensure that differences do not escalate into larger disputes.
His comments were received well by the Chinese foreign ministry.
In the press conference, Ning also said that the remarks follow the “historical trend” of the Global South growing stronger.
“This serves the fundamental interests of over 2.8 billion people in the two countries, meets the common aspiration of regional countries, follows the historical trend of the Global South growing stronger, and is conducive to world peace, stability, development and prosperity,” she said and added, “The two countries should be partners that contribute to each other’s success. A cooperative pas de deux of the dragon and the elephant is the only right choice for both sides.”
China stands ready to work with India to implement the important common understandings between the two leaders, she said.
