Galwan Incident ‘Unfortunate’, Open to Dialogue: Chinese Envoy

The Chinese ambassador to India has said that the Galwan clash is a “brief moment from the perspective of history.”

Chinese Ambassador to India HE Sun Weidong.

(Photo: Altered by Aroop Mishra/The Quint)

Chinese Ambassador to India, HE Sun Weidong has called the Galwan Valley clash an “unfortunate incident” saying that it is a "brief moment from the perspective of history."

The clash, which claimed the lives of 20 Indian soldiers, is the primary reason for the tensions in the India-China bilateral relationship over the past couple of months.

According to an NDTV report, speaking at a China-India youth webinar, the Chinese envoy also said that "Not long ago, an unfortunate incident happened in the border areas that neither China nor India would like to see. Now we are working to handle it properly. It is a brief moment from the perspective of history."

The Chinese Ambassador went on to add that both India and China have the wisdom and the ability to resolve bilateral relations properly.

He said ever since the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries 70 years ago, the bilateral relations have stood the test of time and become more resilient. "It should not be disturbed by one thing at a time. In this new century, bilateral relations should continue to move forward instead of backward," Weidong said.

“China sees India as a partner instead of a rival, and an opportunity instead of a threat. We hope to put the boundary question at an appropriate place in bilateral relations, properly handle differences through dialogue and consultation, and push bilateral relations back on track at an early date,” the ambassador said.

He went on to add that both countries “should live in peace and avoid conflicts.”

The Chinese envoy gave special emphasis on the economic relations between the two counties and how both are complementary to each other.

"China has been India's largest trading partner for many years in a row, while India is also China''s largest trading partner in South Asia. The Chinese and Indian economies are interwoven and interdependent," he said. "I think the two big economies of China and India should attract each other like magnets, rather than forcefully separate them."

Currently, India and China are engaged in a stand-off since May over multiple incursions by the Chinese army in multiple areas like Finger area, Galwan Valley, Kongrung Nala and Hot Springs.

The report also mentions that the Chinese army has refused to disengage or withdraw from the Finger area.

There have been multiple talks between the top generals of both the sides including five Lieutenant General-level talks.

While talks are still going on between the two countries over the matter, India has rejected the Chinese suggestion to disengage equidistantly from the Finger area in eastern Ladakh.

Earlier, China has expressed hope that India will resort to "objective and fair” treatment of Confucius Institutes, which in the past have been understood to be ‘grooming’ youth to become operatives for economic and political espionage.

This development came after India began a comprehensive review of local chapters of Confucius Institutes and agreements with Indian universities.

The Chinese embassy also issued a statement in which it said that India needs to avoid politicising normal cooperation and maintain healthy and stable development and cultural exchanges.