Chinese envoy: India and China shouldn't meddle in one another's internal affairs.

  • Oct. 26, 2022, 12:57 p.m.

More than two years since the prolonged India-China skirmishes in eastern Ladakh's Galwan Valley and three years since he assumed office, Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong marked the end of his tenure in the country. The envoy, in his farewell speech, threw light on "broad prospects" in ties between India and China. However, he did mention that both countries should refrain from interfering in the internal affairs of each other.

Deeming his tenure here as "unforgettable," Sun did witness prolonged India-China standoffs at the LAC while he served as Chinese ambassador to India. Perhaps referring to the strained ties between both countries, especially since the May 2020 Galwan standoff, the ambassador said that India and China should focus on seeking common ground.

Indicating that resolution and dialogue should be used for pending issues, the outgoing Chinese envoy said that it was "only natural" for China and India to have some differences.

"The key is how to handle the differences. We should be aware that the common interests of the two countries are greater than the differences. Meanwhile, the two sides should strive to manage and resolve differences and look for a proper solution through dialogue and consultation, instead of defining China-India relations by differences, "he said.

He advocated a non-interference policy and said that both sides should deepen mutual understanding to avoid "miscalculation and misunderstanding."

The Chinese envoy said: "The two countries need to respect each other's political systems and development paths and uphold the principle of non-interference in each other's internal affairs."

Sun said that both countries should focus on reflecting the importance of India-China relations to strike a harmonious existence.

"China and India have been neighbours for thousands of years and will continue to be neighbours in the future. "If the Western theory of geopolitics is applied to the China-India relationship, then major neighbouring countries like us will inevitably view each other as threats and rivals," he said.

"Consequently, competition and confrontation will be the main modes of interaction, and a zero-sum game will be the inevitable result," he added.

He also quoted Rabindranath Tagore saying, "The famous Indian poet Rabindranath Tagore said that we Easterners can neither borrow the minds of the West nor the temperament of the West. We need to discover our own right to be born with I fully agree with him. "

He hinted at strengthening India-China ties when he said, "Up to now, more than 1800 visas have been issued to Indian students, and we hope there will be more and more exchanges of visits between our two peoples."

Author : Rajdhani Delhi Representative

Rajdhani delhi representative

Related News