BackChinese envoy calls for strengthening bilateral relations amid row over visa denial to Arunachal players in Asian Games
China willing to strengthen bilateral relations with India on a healthy and stable track, says Consul General.
PremiumAmid China's refusal to grant visas to three players from Arunachal Pradesh for the 19th Asian Games, Consul General of China in Kolkata, Zha Liyou said that Beijing is willing to strengthen bilateral relations on a healthy and stable track.
Liyou added that China will implement the consensus reached by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping to boost dialogue between the the two nations.
While addressing a programme to celebrate the 74th anniversary of the founding of China, Zha stressed that a "stable and healthy" relationship between India and China is in the fundamental interest of both nations.
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"Our relationship is generally stable. Our leaders maintain dialogue and communication. President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi had two face-to-face interactions in the past year and reached an important consensus on stabilizing our relations, providing guidance for the development of our bilateral relations.
"China is willing to work with India to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of our two countries, strengthen dialogue and communication, overcome interference difficulties, and promote the development of bilateral relations on a healthy and stable track," he added.
"China and India we share this commonality of very, very long history...civilization that has been you know we have been adjacent to each other for the time since the time began. We are the only two major countries with a population of more than 1 billion. There are no other twins and pairs and partners like this. We are important. We are important emerging economies with a broader development prospect. The friendly exchanges between the peoples of China and India have a long history and will have long centuries to go," he added.
Asked about the denial of visas to three athletes for the Asian Games, Liyou said, "The Asian Games is the game for all of us. We are family… this is a bilateral issue and I would invite you to reach out to the Chinese Embassy…"
Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur on Friday decided to cancel his upcoming visit to Hangzhou for the Asian Games as a mark of protest against China's decision to deny visas to three Indian wushu players from Arunachal Pradesh.
Female players Nyeman Wangsu, Onilu Tega, and Mepung Lamgu have been denied accreditation, which also works as a visa for the Asian Games.
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