Charge d’Affaires of Chinese Embassy in India, Wang Lei, hosted a reception in New Delhi for Chinese New Year on Tuesday. During the event, he expressed China’s readiness to work with India “in the spirits of looking to the future and pursuing win-win cooperation to invest their resources into development and revitalization and place the border issue in an appropriate position within bilateral ties.
In his remarks at the reception held in New Delhi on Tuesday, Wang Lei said that India and China should jointly maintain peace and tranquility in border areas, forging a path for the neighbouring nations to co-exist in harmony and create a better future together. He noted that 2025 marks 75th anniversary of establishment of diplomatic ties between India and China.
He recalled that India was one of the first nations to recognize New China and the first non-socialist nation to establish diplomatic ties with New China.
He said, “The Year 2025 also marks the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and India. India was one of the first countries to recognize New China and the first non-socialist country to establish diplomatic relations with New China. As two major developing countries, representatives of emerging economies, and important members of the Global South, China-India relations maintain healthy and stable development, which is in line with the fundamental interests of over 2.8 billion people in both countries and the historical trend of common development of the Global South.”
Expressing China’s willingness to work with India, he said, “We stand ready to work with the Indian side, in the spirits of looking to the future and pursuing win-win cooperation, to invest our valuable resources into development and revitalization, and place the border issue in an appropriate position within bilateral relations. We should jointly maintain peace and tranquility in border areas, forge a path for the neighbouring countries to coexist in harmony, and create a better future together. We will hold dozens of celebratory activities for the 75th anniversary and look forward to your participation. Together, we will write new stories of China-India friendship.”
Wang recalled that Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a meeting in Russia’s Kazan in October and the two sides agreed to step up strategic communication, safeguard peace and tranquility in the border areas.
Recalling the meeting between PM Modi and Xi Jinping, he said, “Last October, President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi held a meeting in Kazan, Russia. The two sides agreed to step up strategic communication, safeguard peace and tranquility in the border areas, and strive to bring the bilateral relationship back to the track of stable development at an early date. The two leaders viewed China-India relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, and pointed the way forward for the improvement and development of bilateral relations at a critical moment.”
He also talked about the 23rd meeting of Special Representatives for China-India Boundary Question held in Beijing in December. According to him, the officials of two nations during the meeting held discussions on border issues and agreed on six-point consensus.
“Last December, the 23rd meeting of Special Representatives for China-India Boundary Question was held in Beijing. Based on the important common understandings reached by the two leaders, both sides had substantive discussions on the China-India border issues and agreed on a six-point consensus,” he stated.
Speaking about trade exchanges between India and China, he said, “Our economic and trade exchanges have become closer, with trade volume reaching 126.6 billion US dollars in the first 11 months of 2024, registering a year-on-year growth of 1.9 per cent.
People-to-people exchanges have seen rapid growth, and the Chinese Embassy and Consulate Generals in India issued 280,000 visas to Indians last year.”
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and China’s Minister of Foreign Affairs held the 23rd meeting of the Special Representatives (SRs) in Beijing on December 18. The meeting between NSA Doval and Wang Yi was scheduled after New Delhi and Beijing in October reached an agreement regarding patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the India-China border areas.
During the event, Wang Lei said that the year 2024 marked the 75th anniversary of the founding of the People’s Republic of China and noted that it was crucial year for the implementation of the 14th Five-Year Plan.
He said that the Year 2025 is the final year of the 14th Five-Year Plan and emphasised that China will implement more proactive and effective policies to promote high-quality development and maintain sound momentum in economic and social development. He said that China’s vision was put forward at the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, BRICS, APEC, G20 and other multilateral forums.
Chinese Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, shared pictures of the reception held in New Delhi on X. He said that representatives from Indain government, political parties, think tanks, media and students attended the event.
“Chinese Embassy in India held a reception at the Hyatt Regency Hotel for Chinese New Year.
Representatives from Indian government, political parties, diplomatic corps, enterprises, think tanks, media as well as Chinese enterprises and students attended the event,” Xu Feihong posted on X. (ANI)
