India, China should break ‘strange circle’ of ups and downs: Beijing

PTI, Dec 1, 2019, 10:34 AM IST

Beijing: Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Luo Zhaohui has said India and China should break the “strange circle” of ups and downs in bilateral ties instead of attempting to control their differences.

Speaking at the two-day ”Fourth India-China Think-Tanks Forum” held in Beijing on November 28 to 29, Luo Zhaohui said, “The simultaneous rise of China and India is the most important historical event in the 21st century.”

“The two sides should go beyond the mode of controlling differences, break the strange circle of ups and downs in bilateral relations, enhance mutual trust, properly handle differences, seek common development, and explore a way for big developing countries to live peacefully and develop together,” Luo Zhaohui, who was previously the Chinese ambassador to India, said according to a statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

The Think-Tanks Forum was established between the two countries during Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China in May 2015.

The forum was jointly organised by the Indian Council of World Affairs (ICWA) and the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences (CASS).

Under the theme “India-China Relationship in the Asian Century”, this year”s forum carried out in-depth discussions on various issues including building closer developmental partnership between the two countries, development strategies and experiences in India and China as well as on communication and mutual learning between the countries, said a statement issued by the Indian embassy here.

“These discussions were held in the spirit of friendship and openness and contributed to enhancing mutual understanding between the two sides,” it said.

The 15-member Indian delegation was led by TCA Raghavan, Director General ICWA.

The delegation also included former Indian ambassador to China Ashok K Kantha, who is Director of Institute of Chinese Studies (ICS), Soumen Bagchi, Deputy Director-General ICWA, Dilip Chenoy, Secretary General of Federation of Indian Chambers of Commerce and Industry (FICCI) as well as scholars and academics from various thinks-tanks and academic institutions in India.

Top Indian and Chinese diplomats who took part in the discussions have agreed that India and China should cooperate regionally and globally and must maintain multi-dimensional relationships for the realisation of an Asian Century.