Good-neighborly efforts

Obviously, this high-level consensus is of great significance, because, with the development of bilateral relations and the growing number of exchanges and increasing common interests between the two countries, the time for resolving issues left over by history, including the border dispute, is approaching maturity.

In fact, China and India have been insisting on a solution to the boundary issue through equal and friendly consultations. The Special Representatives appointed by the two governments in 2003 have concluded the political guidelines and reached a preliminary consensus on a solution framework through several rounds of negotiations. Pending a final resolution, the two sides will continue to make joint efforts to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas. Friendly negotiations will help enhance strategic mutual trust and create favorable conditions for the sound development of bilateral relations.

The leaders of China and India have also reached a basic consensus that the two sides will not see each other as a threat, but cooperative partners. As President Xi Jinping said, the world has enough space for the development of both China and India, and it needs their common development. This consensus will be the guiding principle for the development of bilateral relations in the future.

Making both peoples aware of this consensus is a very important task. There are plenty of people who are reluctant to see friendship between the two countries and hope to see long-lasting hostility between them. But the people of China and India must not facilitate the schemes of those who are ill-disposed toward friendly ties between the two neighbors, they should understand that friendly ties are in the fundamental interests of China and India.

Sino-Indian friendship is a great cause that needs the unremitting efforts of the two peoples from generation to generation. We firmly believe that the trend of growing Sino-Indian friendship is irreversible and Sino-Indian relations are blessed with a bright future.

The author is the former Chinese ambassador to India.

(China Daily 05/20/2013 page10)