India-China relation like monsoon rain: Envoy

Mumbai:  The relation between India and China is like the monsoon that rains differently every year, China’s consul General Zheng Xiyuan has said. He was addressing a gathering here last evening in celebration of the 68th National Day of the People’s Republic of China.

“Relation between China and India is just like the monsoon season. There are different levels of rainfall in different years. And, sometimes you have clouds as well,” he said, alluding to the Dokalam episode. Despite fluctuations in ties, the right way forward for the two countries would be to exist peacefully and work together for a win-win situation, Xiyuan said.

“Over the past three years, we have seen fluctuations in relation between the two countries. This year, the two countries witnessed a stand-off,” he said. India and China had engaged in a military face-off for 70 days over the construction of a road in the Dokalam region, a territory which is claimed by both China and India’s ally Bhutan.

Noting that there are huge opportunities for both the nations to explore, he said the two countries should support each other to move ahead. “Let us work together, let us travel together in the same boat and sail towards the destination the leaders of the two nations have charted out,” he said.

Striking a personal note, Xiyuan said he had often wondered during the Dokalam stand-off if he and his wife would still get the same reception from their Indian friends when they attend social functions. “The reality is that, whenever we approached their entrance, they shook hands with us and engaged in friendly talks,” he said.