Differences natural, but key is how to handle situation, says outgoing China envoy

NEW DELHI: As neighbours, it is natural for China and India to have some differences but the focus should be to seek common ground for development while resolving the pending issues through dialogue, outgoing Chinese ambassador Sun Weidong said on Tuesday.

His comments came at the end of his little over three-year tenure that saw the ties between India and China coming under severe strain following the Galwan Valley clashes.

"China and India are important neighbours to each other. It is only natural for China and India having some differences. The key is how to handle the differences," Sun said.

"We should be aware that the common interests of the two countries are greater than differences. Meanwhile, the two sides should strive to manage and resolve differences, and look for a proper solution through dialogue and consultation, instead of defining China-India ties by differences," he said.

Sun said the two nations need to respect each other's political systems and development paths, and uphold the principle of non-interference in each other's internal affairs and avoid "misunderstanding and miscalculation".