India-China Border Standoff: China Says 'Positive Progress' In Resolving Conflict With India, Reacts To PM Modi Interview

Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday said that they have made 'positive progress' with India to resolve the border standoff through diplomatic and military channels.

Mao Ning, the spokesperson for the foreign ministry revealed China's reaction to PM Modi's recent statement on Indo-China border issues.

During the recent interview with Newsweek magazine, Prime Minister Modi expressed optimism that by engaging in positive and constructive diplomacy and military discussions, the two nations can achieve the restoration and maintenance of peace and calm at their borders.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao responding to PM Modi's interview statements, said, “China and India are in close communication through diplomatic and military channels to address issues related to the border situation, and have achieved positive progress."

She further said, “China believes that a sound and stable relationship is in the interest of both China and India."

“We hope that India will work with China to place the boundary question appropriately in bilateral relations and manage it properly, and put the relationship on a sound and steady track,” Mao added.

The relationship between India and China has been at a standstill, except for trade relations, since the border conflict in eastern Ladakh began on May 5, 2020, after a violent confrontation in the Pangong Tso area.

The two parties have engaged in 21 rounds of discussions at the corps commander level to address the standoff till date.

Mao while responding to a question on Modi's interview on Thursday said that China noted Prime Minister Modi's remarks.

"Sound and stable China-India relations serve the interests of both countries and are conducive to peace and development in the region and beyond," she said.

Regarding the boundary issue, Mao restated China's consistent position that it does not encompass the entirety of China-India relations and that it should be appropriately addressed within bilateral relations and handled with care.

However, India has maintained that there cannot be restoration of normalcy in its relations with China as long as the state of the borders remains abnormal.

Mao said both countries maintain close communication through diplomatic and military channels on handling issues related to the border situation and have made positive progress.

"We hope that India will work with China, approach the bilateral relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective, keep building trust and engage in dialogue and cooperation, and seek to handle differences appropriately to put the relationship on a sound and stable track," she said.

The Chinese military has reported that both parties have currently consented to withdraw from four specific points, including the Galwan Valley, the Pangong Lake, Hot Springs, and Jianan Daban (Gogra).

India is urging the People's Liberation Army (PLA) to withdraw from the Depsang and Demchok areas, emphasizing that normalcy in its relations with China cannot be restored as long as the border remains tense.

This is the second time in as many days that China has reacted to Modi's interview.

What did PM Modi say?

"It is my belief that we need to urgently address the prolonged situation on our borders so that the abnormality in our bilateral interactions can be put behind us," Modi said in his interview.

"Stable and peaceful relations between India and China are important for not just our two countries but the entire region and world," he said.