India and China decided they have better things to do than engage in petty quarrels. The two economic giants have pledged to work together to boost their bilateral relations to a whole new chapter here on Saturday.
After meeting with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Indian Vice President Venkaiah Naidu said his country is willing to take next year's 70th anniversary of India-China diplomatic relations as an opportunity to advance bilateral ties to a new level.
Naidu, also Chairman of Rajya Sabha (parliament's upper house), hoped that both sides would work together to improve high-level ties, deepen strategic cooperation, enhance cultural and human exchanges, and jointly safeguard regional and global peace and stability.
The Indian vice president noted that important consensus has been reached between leaders of both countries on properly handling differences and sensitive issues so as not to allow their differences to escalate into disputes.
Naidu congratulated Wang Yi on the positive progress made on the China-India Boundary Question earlier on Saturday at the 22nd Special Representatives' Meeting.
For his part, Wang Yi said the two countries' leaders charted the course for the growth of bilateral relations during g their second successful informal meeting in Chennai, India, and reached substantial consensus on the proper resolution of border issues.
Wang said the meeting of the Special Representatives aimed at implementing the agreement between the two countries' presidents, identifying the important areas for cooperation and mapping the growth of next year's the trade and socio-economic relations.
In line with the political guiding principles on the China-Indian border issues, the Chinese government has put forward a concrete strategy for resolving border issues, which has attracted the Indian side's attention, Wang said, adding that the two countries have also reached an agreement on confidence-building and border cooperation.
The China-India relations are facing new development opportunities as the two countries will celebrate next year's 70th anniversary of the diplomatic accord, Wang said.
Noting that the two sides have planned 70 events to mark next year's anniversary of establishing diplomatic pact, Wang said the next step is to take the opportunity to deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, enhance cultural exchanges, and strengthen the two countries' social and public foundations of friendship.
Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, for his part, said the two countries should solve the border issues at an early date through dialogue and coordination to promote greater development of bilateral partnerships.
At the invitation of Doval, Wang Yi arrived here Friday at the 22nd Special Representative Meeting on the China-India Boundary Issue.
