China emphasises peace in border relations with India

BEIJING • The Chinese military hopes India can work with China to jointly maintain peace and tranquillity in the border regions and together maintain the positive development of bilateral ties, China's Ministry of National Defence has said.

Senior Colonel Wu Qian, the ministry's spokesman, made the comments on Thursday in response to India's Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat's recent statement on China being the biggest security threat to India at the moment.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's administration has shifted its strategic focus from long-time rival Pakistan after the deadliest India-China fighting in four decades erupted in June last year. Twenty Indians and at least four Chinese soldiers were killed in hand-to-hand combat in a clash along the 3,488km border.

Gen Rawat had said on Nov 11 that a lack of "trust" and growing "suspicion" were standing in the way of resolving the border dispute between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

Last month, the 13th round of border talks between Indian and Chinese military commanders ended in a stalemate as both sides could not agree on how to pull back from the border.

Since last year's border clash, China and India have been adding to infrastructure, troops and military hardware along the disputed Himalayan frontier, Gen Rawat said.

"India is prepared for any misadventure along the border and in the sea," he added.

Senior Col Wu said the comments have hyped up the so-called Chinese military threat, which is in serious violation of the mutual non-aggression agreement proposed by heads of states from both countries.

This rhetoric, which can incite geopolitical confrontation, is irresponsible and dangerous, he said, adding that the Chinese military resolutely opposes this kind of action.

"China has a clear and consistent stance on the China-India border issue," he said.

"Chinese border troops have an unshakeable determination to safeguard national sovereignty and security but, at the same time, they will maintain peace and tranquillity in the border regions and make great effort to deescalate tension in the area.

"As neighbouring countries, we hope the India side can work with China to jointly safeguard regional peace and tranquillity in the border regions, and together maintain the positive development of bilateral ties."

CHINA DAILY/ASIA NEWS NETWORK, BLOOMBERG