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External Affairs Minister Jaswant Singh's visit to China this week will rejuvenate Sino-Indian relations and help minimise the differences, Chinese officials said.
"I expect that the visit will provide us with a new opportunity to bring China-India relations to a new phase of development," Chinese Foreign Minister Tang Jiaxuan said.
"It is true that we do not always see eye-to-eye concerning certain international and regional issues. Yet, I have to say that we have more common ground than differences. Our positions are indeed very similar and close to each other. This is the most important aspect of our relationship," he stressed.
Singh will be in China from March 29 to April 2 at the invitation of Tang.
Former Chinese ambassador to India, Cheng Ruisheng, said there is every reason to be optimistic about the future of the Sino-Indian partnership.
"Whether the two neighbours can maintain peaceful co-existence and friendly cooperation is deeply concerned with not only the interests of the two peoples, but also peace and stability in Asia as well as in the whole world," Cheng said.
For China and India the crucial common strategic interest is a good-neighbourly relationship, rather than international or regional geopolitics, he said.
On Sino-Pakistani relations Cheng said, "The present Sino-Pakistani relations are not directed at any third party. China strongly hopes India and Pakistan can improve their relations, which can benefit peace and stability in the region."
On the vexed Sino-Indian border issue, Chinese officials said the talks between expert groups this year have yielded "positive" results.
Commenting on the border issue, Cheng said it is unrealistic to try and get it resolved overnight.
While the two countries can hammer out relevant agreements to ensure peace and stability along the Line of Actual Control, they must settle the issue when conditions are "ripe", he said.
PTI
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