Politics

China seeks mutual trust in maintaining border peace with India

New Delhi, Apr 28 (EFE).- China’s Defense Minister Li Shangfu Friday said the mutual trust was needed to maintain border peace with India, a day after he landed in New Delhi for a regional security meeting amid soured ties between the countries.

It is the first visit to India by a defense minister of China after a deadly border clash between the Chinese and Indian troops in 2020.

Li and defense ministers of other countries have gathered in the Indian capital to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) meeting.

Ahead of the meeting, the Chinese minister asked New Delhi to put the long-standing boundary dispute in “an appropriate position…and promote the transition of the border situation to normalized management.”

“It is hoped that the two sides will work together to continuously enhance mutual trust between the two militaries and make proper contributions to the development of bilateral relations,” he said in a statement issued by the Chinese embassy in New Delhi.

The defense minister pointed out that the situation on the China-India border “is generally stable and the two sides have maintained communication through military and diplomatic channels.”

He said China and India shared “far more common interests than differences.”

“The two sides should view bilateral relations and each other’s development from a comprehensive, long-term and strategic perspective, and jointly contribute wisdom and strength to world and regional peace and stability.”

Ties soured between the two neighbors after the June 2020 border clash, the worst between the two militaries in 45 years, in the Galwan Valley of the western Himalayas.

At least 20 Indian soldiers were killed and 76 wounded. China admitted that four soldiers died and one was seriously wounded.

Ties dipped by a notch again in early April, when China unilaterally renamed 11 places in the India-governed northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh that Beijing claims as its own.

India reacted quickly with a visit by Home Minister Amit Shah to the state to announce infrastructure development plans, sparking sharp reactions from China.

Both countries maintain a historic dispute over other Himalayan regions, such as the Aksai Chin administered by Beijing and claimed by India. EFE

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