Big friend of India, says top Chinese official during heated confrontation between Jaishankar and Sun

The normalisation of India-China relations is in the best interests of both nations as well as the region, Jaishankar told Sun Weidong, the departing Chinese envoy to India. Li Jiming, China's top diplomat in Bangladesh, declared his admiration for India and his belief that his country and China can collaborate closely to address geopolitical and economic problems. The envoy stated in Dhaka that China has no strategic rivalry with India and opposes a Bay of Bengal that is "heavily militarised." The remarks occurred when China's departing ambassador to India, Sun Weidong, paid Jaishankar a farewell visit at South Block and expressed his strong opinions about the India-China relationship. In his farewell remarks, Sun Weidong said it is only natural for India and China to have differences and they should seek common ground and not allow their relationship to be defined by disagreements. There is enough room in the world for China and India to develop together, Sun said."...the two sides should strive to manage and resolve differences, and look for a proper solution through dialogue and consultation, instead of defining China-India relations by differences. The two countries need to respect each other's political systems and development paths, and uphold the principle of non-interference in each other's internal affairs," he said.

Jaishankar said the normalisation of India-China relations is in the interest of both countries and the region.In the midst of this heated discussion, Li Jiming, the Chinese ambassador to Bangladesh, stated that China does not view India as a strategic adversary or rivalry. In a conversation, ambassador Li stated, "We never regard India as a strategic opponent or competitor of China. "I have a lot of admiration for India. We can cooperate more closely to address geopolitical and economic problems, "added he.