Let's manage differences through dialogue, says outgoing Chinese envoy to India

China and India, as important neighbors, must seek common ground for development while resolving pending issues through dialogue, outgoing Chinese Ambassador to India Sun Weidong said.

Sun, in his farewell remarks which were posted on the website of the Chinese embassy in India, said it is only natural for China and India to have some differences – the key is how to handle them.

The Chinese diplomat emphasized the need to improve communication and cooperation to manage and resolve differences.

"Dragon-Elephant Tango" is the only correct choice for the two sides, he said, adding, "We should not allow differences to become disputes."

Calling his tenure of more than three years in India "unforgettable", Sun said geographical proximity should be an opportunity for China and India "to have more interaction and cooperation, tap our potential and learn from and complement each other".

On Oct 26, Sun paid a visit to India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in a farewell call at the minister's office in New Delhi.

During the meeting, Jaishankar told Sun that maintaining peace and tranquility in the border areas is essential for normal ties between India and China, according to a tweet from the Indian minister.

"Received Ambassador Sun Weidong of China for a farewell call. Emphasized that the development of India-China relations is guided by the 3 Mutuals. Peace and tranquility in the border areas is essential," Jaishankar wrote on Twitter after the meeting.

"The normalization of India-China relations is in the interest of both countries, of Asia and the world at large," he said.

During Sun's 39-month tenure in New Delhi, China and India saw serious strain in bilateral ties following a border standoff in June 2020.

Afterwards Sun and Jaishankar made significant contributions to restoring peace and defusing tension between the two neighbors.

"There is enough room in the world for China and India to develop together, and the two countries and peoples should have enough wisdom to find a way to live in peace and achieve win-win cooperation," Sun wrote in his farewell remarks on Oct 25.

China and India should break out of the "geopolitics trap", Sun said, adding that if the Western theory of geopolitics is applied to the China-India relationship, then big neighbors like China and India will inevitably view each other as threats and rivals.

Earlier, in a tweet on Oct 22, Sun said he wanted to "bid farewell to our Indian friends", thanking them for contributing to China-India friendship.

"Good luck for your future, Ambassador … we hope India and China will resolve all their disputes peacefully," an Indian netizen posted in a response to Sun's tweet.

Sun's departure after an eventful stint is stirring nostalgia and warm feelings, especially as China and India have achieved military disengagement at four points on their Line of Actual Control and as negotiations to resolve other points of concern continue.

Jaishankar, as a former Indian ambassador to China, has known Sun for decades, so their warm vibes at Sun's farewell were along expected lines. But it will be interesting to see who will fill Sun's shoes to take this positive momentum in bilateral interactions forward, said Swaran Singh, a professor of diplomacy and disarmament at Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi.

The outgoing Chinese envoy was genuinely supportive of India-China relations, though his tenure saw a very low point in the relationship, said Rajiv Ranjan, a professor at the Institute of Global Studies, Shanghai University, and an adjunct fellow at the Institute of Chinese Studies in New Delhi.

Sun has pointed out that during his tenure, bilateral trade between China and India has topped $120 billion a year, even as relations went through "ups and downs".

He emphasized that under Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, the two countries reached a number of significant agreements.

"I believe that, under the strategic guidance of the leaders of our two countries and with the joint efforts of both sides, the bilateral relations will eventually have the clouds cleared and return to the right track," Sun said.

"We should also turn our broad consensus on multilateral affairs into concrete actions, and enhance communication in the framework of the United Nations, G20, BRICS (the grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa), SCO (the Shanghai Cooperation Organization) and other multilateral institutions. We should strengthen coordination in poverty reduction, disaster prevention, energy security, climate change and other major issues, and make contributions to addressing global challenges."

In other comments, Sun said China has streamlined the visa application procedure for Indian nationals and has begun processing visa requests for individuals, including students pursuing long-term studies.

"Up to now, more than 1,800 visas have been issued to the Indian students, and we hope there will be more and more exchange of visits between our peoples," Sun said.

The writer is a freelance journalist for China Daily.