China, India have great wisdom to handle sensitive issues

Edited and translated by Liang Jun, People's Daily Online

From May 9 to 10, India's Foreign Minister Salman Khurshid paid an official visit to China, during which, the two sides will hold discussions on issues of common concern. They will also discuss and coordinate the matters concerning Chinese Premier Li Keqiang's visit to India.

Since the China-Indian border confrontation, the Indian opposition parties, military, and media have once pressured the government to cancel the foreign minister's plan to visit China.

However, Khurshid's visit to China indicates that the development of China-Indian relations has been quite stable and India attaches great importance to ties with China.

Sino-India ties have long been complex and sensitive due to some historical issues such as border issue, Tibet-related issue and divergence on cross-border water resources.

In recent years, China and India have risen simultaneously as emerging powers. Western media hype "the competition between the dragon and the elephant", trying to provoke the China-Indian relations. So how to view and deal with the bilateral ties is a major issue facing both sides.

Simultaneous rise

The good news is that over the past half century, China and India have learnt from the lessons of history, made efforts to promote mutual trust on politics and security and effectively controlled differences so as to promote the steady development of bilateral relations.

Especially in the new century, the two sides actively conducted cooperation in various areas and gradually formed a new model of bilateral ties featuring grasping overall situation, inclusiveness and reciprocity, and seeking common development, which provide a strong guarantee for the healthy and stable development of the bilateral ties.

The new type of China-India ties have following characters. First, accurately positioning the bilateral ties, namely, the two sides are partners, not rivals. There is enough space for the two countries to develop; second, grasping the general direction for the bilateral ties, enhancing mutual political trust, strengthening exchange and cooperation and seeking common development and win-win situation: and third, properly dealing with sensitive issues, separating boundary issue from the overall China-India relations and ensuring the relevant differences not to affect the development of the bilateral ties.

Read the Chinese version: 中印有妥处敏感问题大智慧

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