New Chinese envoy says 'ready to work with India'
China's newly appointed envoy to India, Xu Feihong, said Beijing is ready to work with India to "accommodate" each other's concerns and find a mutually acceptable solution to "specific issues" through dialogue. Appointed by Chinese President Xi Jinping, Xu views his posting in New Delhi as an "honorable mission and a sacred duty" aimed at improving bilateral ties. Xu is succeeding veteran Chinese diplomat Sun Weidong, who completed his tenure in October 2022.
Why does this story matter?
Xu's appointment came after an exceptionally lengthy 18-month wait over strained relations between China and India due to the Ladakh military standoff. Except for trade, relations between the two nations have deteriorated since the eastern Ladakh border standoff broke out on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong Tso (lake) area. To end the deadlock, the two sides have had 21 rounds of talks at the Corps Commander level.
Envoy Xu highlights importance of China-India ties
Before leaving for New Delhi to take up his posting, Xu expressed optimism about resolving the current gridlock in bilateral relations. Xu acknowledged Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comments on the significance of China-India ties, stating that "the Chinese side always believes that China-India ties should not be defined by any single issue or area; the boundary question is not the entirety of the relationship."
Cooperation would bring opportunities to both countries: Xu
He emphasized that cooperation between India and China on global and regional affairs would bring opportunities to both countries and have an "important positive impact" on international order. "President Xi Jinping said that we must not focus our attention only on differences and forget about our friendship and cooperation, still less should we allow the differences to stand in the way of our development and interfere with the overall growth of bilateral relations," Xu said.
