In marked contrast to its sharp criticism of a high-level visit four years ago, China on Friday reacted mildly to President Pranab Mukherjee’s trip to Arunachal Pradesh by saying it hoped India would refrain from “actions that complicate the boundary question”.
China, which claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet, highlighted the “sound momentum” of bilateral relations and joint efforts to address the border dispute. “We hope that the Indian side could meet China halfway to safeguard the overall interests of bilateral relations, refrain from taking actions that complicate the boundary question, work together with us to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas and create conditions for boundary negotiations,” the Foreign Ministry said.
The ministry stated its position in a written reply to a query from PTI seeking its reaction to Mukherjee’s two-day visit to Arunachal Pradesh beginning on Friday. It added: “China-India relationship maintains a sound momentum of growth, with the two sides exploring ways to solve boundary question through friendly consultations at special representatives’ meeting.”