Chinese Consul General in Mumbai Kong Xianhua has said his country is ready to work with India to bridge the gap between the people of the two neighbours, recalling the Indian help during the Sino-Japanese war.

The senior diplomat on Thursday visited the Indian Coast Guard Headquarters (West) to express gratitude to the maritime security agency for saving Chinese mariners over the past two years, an official statement said.

Kong met Inspector General Bhisham Sharma, Commander of Indian Coast Guard (West), and said China is ready to work with India friends to bridge the gap between the people of the two countries and strengthen friendship.

“... Our two peoples will walk together like brothers and sisters,” he said.

The Indian Coast Guard and Indian Navy have jointly carried out a successful rescue mission to evacuate a Chinese mariner who was critically injured and suffering heavy blood loss on July 24, the statement said.

“The Indian Coast Guard responded immediately to the medical emergency. The rescue team overcame the strong wind and high waves to evacuate him to hospital. Thanks to the Indian Coast Guard's prompt rescue and professional treatment, the mariner recovered very well and has already been back to China,” Kong said.

“Today I come here on behalf of the Chinese Consulate General in Mumbai to express my heartfelt gratitude to you and all the officers and pay my highest tribute to the Indian Coast Guard,” Kong told IG Sharma, as per the statement said.

Kong recalled that in 1938, an Indian medical mission went to China to help Chinese people fight against Japanese aggression.

Dr Kotnis, one of the doctors who was from Solapur (in Maharashtra), sacrificed his life for the great cause of Chinese people's liberation. Many Chinese people also gave their firm support for India's independence, the diplomat said.

In the current context, these rescue missions for Chinese citizens carried out by the Indian Coast Guard are of great significance and importance and strengthen the friendship between the two neighbours, he said

“A Chinese idiom goes ‘compassion knows no borders'. We are ready to work with our Indian friends to bridge the gap between our two peoples and strengthen our friendship and our two peoples will walk together like brothers and sisters,” the diplomat said.

He said the Indian Coast Guard has saved three Chinese mariners in the consular district of the Consulate General alone over the past two years.

Kong said, “These rescue missions not only fulfil the (Coast Guard's) motto of ‘Vayam Rakshamah' (we protect), but also demonstrate the common philosophy of People First, Life First in both China and India.”

Sharma said over the past decade, the Indian Coast Guard has saved 27 Chinese citizens.