New Chinese Ambassador Xu Feihong, a veteran diplomat, who arrived here on Friday to fill a position that was vacant for 18 months, has said China is ready to work with India to accommodate each other’s concerns and find a mutually acceptable solution to specific issues.

Xu succeeds Sun Weidong, whose tenure ended in October 2022. He was welcomed at the airport by the Protocol Division of the MEA. Before emplaning for Delhi, Xu said, “China is ready to work with India to accommodate each other’s concerns, find a mutually acceptable solution to specific issues through dialogue at an early date and turn the page as soon as possible.”

The remarks came against the backdrop of a prolonged military standoff between the two countries in eastern Ladakh. “It is an honourable mission and a sacred duty. I will do my best to deepen understanding and friendship between the two nations, expand exchanges and cooperation in various fields and improve and advance the bilateral relationship,” he said. “The Chinese side always believes that China-India ties should not be defined by any single issue or area; the boundary question is not the entirety of the relationship,” he said, quoting Chinese President Xi Jinping as saying 10 years back that, “we must not focus our attention only on differences and forget about our friendship and cooperation, still less should we allow the differences to stand in the way of our development and interfere with the overall growth of bilateral relations”.

Xu was named for the job in January this year, but for reasons unknown he did not take up the position. Another announcement was made a couple of days earlier and it was thought that he might arrive after the Lok Sabha elections. Xu was China’s Ambassador to Afghanistan and Romania and has also served in Latin America. To normalise ties, India has been insisting that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) must disengage and withdraw from Depsang and Demchok areas.

Courtesy: The Tribune India: 11th May , 2024