Ties with China goes beyond the border question: India

New Delhi, Aug 12 (PTI) Maintaining that its ties with
China "goes beyond the border question", India Wednesday said
it wants to strengthen the "positive aspects" of relations
with it instead of focusing only on things that still remain
to be resolved.

"We should not look at the Chinese relationship only in
terms of the border question," India Union Minister of State
for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor told reporters here when
asked to comment on the present state of bilateral ties.

"Our relationship (with China) goes beyond the border
issues. We have trade relations. China has become our largest
trading partner, apart from the IT services. We have seen
engagements in companies in China, Chinese companies in India.
We have seen increase in tourist visa, Indian pilgrims
travelling, all of this," he noted.

He was talking to reporters here after a function
organised by the International Committee of The Red Cross,
International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent
Societies and the Embassy of Switzerland to mark 60th
anniversary of the Geneva Convention.

India has "an issue on the border" with China but
maintained, "we have also met and talked about it," he said
while referring to the ongoing Special Representative level
talks to settle the boundary question.

"In many ways (our) relationship has many more dimensions
and we would like to strengthen the positive aspects of the
relationship instead of focusing only on things that still
remains to be resolved," Tharoor said.

He said the two countries should "celebrate" the things
and exploit opportunities that exist for further development.
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