China says ‘great positive progress’ in resolving border row after PM’s interview
Days after Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the importance of stable India-China relations, China said the two nations had made "great positive progress" to resolve the border standoff along the LAC. Speaking to the media, a Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson said India and China were maintaining close communication on the border issue, news agency PTI reported.
"About the border issue, I can tell you that China and India are remaining in close communication through diplomatic and military channels and great positive progress has been made," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning was quoted by the news agency as saying.
"We also believe that healthy China and India relations serve the interests of the two countries," she said.
"China hopes that India will work in the same direction with China to properly manage the differences and take the bilateral relations forward on a healthy, stable track," Mao further said.
Earlier this week, PM Modi, in an interview with Newsweek, said a stable relation between India and China was important not just for the two nations, but for the entire region and world.
He also highlighted that the "prolonged situation" at the borders should be addressed urgently.
PM Modi expressed confidence that through bilateral talks, the two countries would be able to restore peace and tranquillity at their borders.
"It is my belief that we need to urgently address the prolonged situation on our borders so that the abnormality in our bilateral interactions can be put behind us," PM Modi said in his interview.
The bilateral ties between India and China have been strained after a clash in Galwan in May 2020 resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers. Around 40 Chinese soldiers also reportedly lost their lives in the clash.
The two sides have so far held 21 rounds of corps commander-level talks to resolve the standoff.
