India-China Ties Need To Go Beyond National Politics: Envoy

New Delhi, Dec 17, IRNA -- Calling for enhanced exchanges between India and China to build mutual trust and understanding, New Delhi today said two Asian giants need to forge stronger relationship 'going beyond national politics' to accommodate each others interests. “The two countries should step-up contacts to ensure that issues like boundary dispute do not obstruct the relationship,” said Indian Ambassador to China, S. Jaishankar in a rare interview to a Chinese official daily newspaper, the PTI reported. 'I feel that the only solution is to increase contacts and exchanges. There is distrust when the people don't understand each other,' he said. Jaishankar also said, 'Lack of mutual trust and understanding is the real challenge faced by our two countries. It has blurred our visions.' 'If you have to give a very direct solution, then my solution is: enhance exchanges in every field,' he underlined. The two countries have held 14 rounds of talks to find a mutually acceptable solution to the long-standing boundary disputes. Jaishankar said the two countries should remember that 'the decline of India and China in the 18th-19th centuries was connected.' 'So too were their re-emergence as modern states after the Second World War. So for the common development of the two countries, we need a stronger relationship, going beyond national politics, one where we understand each others' interests much better. Both of us need a stronger Asia,' he said. Replying to a question, he said the analogy of describing China and India as 'dragon' and 'elephant' was 'exaggerated'. He said the bilateral relationship in the last 10 to 15 years has 'always been good'./end