India-China should think out of box to resolve issues: Media

From K J M Varma Beijing, May 15: India and China should think out of the box to resolve issues as their ties are still vulnerable to many sensitive matters due to lack of trust despite the bonhomie between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping, a state-run Chinese newspaper said today.

"It will be long term test for China and India to get rid of distractions imposed by West and stick to a path which can benefit the national interest of both sides," state-run Global Times said.

In an editorial titled 'Sino-Indian ties can conquer West's doubts', the paper said, "China and India should think out of the box where delusions of persecution prevail. Otherwise, cooperation can scarcely be conducted and only distrust and hostility are rife". "Both China and India displayed more pragmatism. They know the difficulty of addressing border disputes and no side expects the solution can only be achieved through a life or death battle," it said.

The paper said that defining a relationship between two neighbouring raising powers is new to international relations. "It is hard for China and India to develop a strategic partnership, but it will be dreadful for both sides to vie with each other," it said. "The fundamental interests of China and India require peace, goodwill and cooperation.

No side should look at the other with contempt or arrogance and on the problems should be addressed between the two with no need to introduce a third party," it said. Noting that Modi's visit gives another push to the development of bilateral relations after Xi's visit to India last September, the paper said that "we should expect more progress in the future".

In another article in the Global Times, Y A Liu Zongy, assistant research fellow of Shanghai Institutes for International Studies said, the boundary dispute has become a "conundrum" affecting bilateral ties and both countries should work out a code of conduct if the issue is not resolved.

"The boundary disputes are a conundrum in the bilateral relationship. If it can't be solved at an earlier date, the two sides should more closely stick to the code of conduct they reached before," the article said. During her China trip in January, Indian Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj had proposed that both sides should think "out of the box" for solutions to the border issue.

"It is not clear what such solutions are but we hope border contention will not affect the bilateral cooperation... Realising regional security, including the stability in Afghanistan and the security in the Indian Ocean, requires concerted efforts from both China and India," it added.

PTI