Zhao Lijian photo: VCG

 
The Chinese foreign ministry said on Monday mutual respect and support between China and India are the right direction and in line with the long term interests of the two countries. 

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian made the remarks on Monday during a routine press conference in response to a question about a speech by Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Saturday during the country’s Independence Day ceremony, in which the Indian leader promised to build a stronger military. 

In the speech, Modi also said India's armed forces "have given a fitting response to countries that threatened the country's territorial sovereignty."  He didn’t directly address China but his speech was widely read as demonstrating his tough stance toward China following the recent border tension between the two countries in June.

China and India have held several rounds of senior military-level talks and agreed to disengage the frontline troops following the border clash in June. 

As two neighboring countries, both home to populations of more than 1 billion, the development of China-India relations benefits not only the two countries and two peoples, but also contributes to stability and the peace and prosperity of the region as well as the world, Zhao said.

“It is the right choice for the two countries to have mutual respect and to support each other, which is in line with the two sides’ long term interests,” Zhao said.

China is willing to work with India to enhance mutual political trust, properly manage differences, strengthen pragmatic cooperation, and safeguard the overall development of bilateral ties, he noted.

Global Times