China, India should view each other as partners rather than rivals: Chinese Ambassador Xu Feihong

Addressing a reception celebrating the 77th anniversary of the founding of the Peoples Republic of China, Xu said China and India are close neighbours and that friendly exchanges and cooperation have always remained the mainstream of bilateral relations.

China and India are partners rather than rivals, and development opportunities rather than threats to each other, the Chinese envoy said.

Xu said China is ready to work with India to explore the right way for neighbouring major countries to coexist and promote the continuous development of bilateral relations.

The ambassador also highlighted growing economic ties between the two countries, saying bilateral trade reached USD 91.7 billion in the first half of this year, registering a year-on-year increase of 23.6 per cent.

Development is the shared goal of our two countries. It would be mutually beneficial for us to strengthen friendly exchanges and win-win cooperation, enhance public support for our bilateral ties, and assist each others development and revitalization, he said.

On differences between the two sides, Xu said China and India, as two ancient civilisations, possess sufficient political and historical wisdom to handle differences properly.

He said Beijing remains committed to a dual-track approach to bilateral relations and border issues, with both reinforcing each other while maintaining peace and tranquillity in border areas.

The envoy also referred to the recent meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the 18th BRICS Summit, saying the two leaders reached an important consensus on developing China-India relations on a sound and stable track.

We would make joint efforts with India to translate the consensus into more concrete actions and bring greater benefits to the two peoples, Xu said.

Calling for greater cooperation at multilateral forums, Xu said China and India should jointly demonstrate a sense of historical responsibility and safeguard the common interests of the Global South.

We would support each others BRICS chairmanship, strengthen coordination in the United Nations, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and the G20, to contribute greater stability and positive energy to the world, he said.

On Chinas economic performance, Xu said the Chinese economy grew by 4.7 per cent in the first half of the year, with advanced manufacturing and the digital economy contributing more than 40 per cent to new growth drivers.

He said China continues to contribute around 30 per cent to global economic growth and remains a leading engine of the world economy.

Xu also said Chinas total trade in goods has ranked first globally for nine consecutive years, while its imports have ranked second globally for 17 consecutive years.

The ambassador said China remains committed to openness, inclusiveness and shared prosperity, adding that the country has established platforms such as the China International Import Expo, Canton Fair and China International Supply Chain Expo to share opportunities from its market with the world.

On global cooperation, Xu highlighted Chinese President Xi Jinpings Global Development Initiative, Global Security Initiative, Global Civilization Initiative and Global Governance Initiative.

He said that since the launch of the Global Development Initiative five years ago, China has implemented more than 2,000 projects in partnership with other countries and provided training to more than 200,000 professionals, benefiting people in over 120 countries.

Xu concluded by calling for continued efforts to strengthen China-India relations.

The leaders of China and India have once again set the direction for the development of bilateral relations. Lets stay committed to our goal, move forward hand in hand, and promote China-India relations to new heights, he said. (ANI)