Hope India learns lessons from Doklam row, says China

His assertion did not elicit any official comment from New Delhi, but sources said the disengagement was “simultaneous” and “sequential”. “It doesn’t matter which side withdrew first, the process had to be begun by one side, and the other side followed. There are standard operating procedures for disengagement in a face-off situation. Those procedures were followed,” an Indian government source said. The source also said the decision to “de-escalate” and “dis-engage” was taken “mutually” after almost 10 weeks of negotiations.

READ | Giving Bhutan its due

Asked about the lessons learnt, an official in New Delhi pointed to Bhutan’s statement which said on Tuesday that the country hoped the withdrawal of troops contributed to the “maintenance of peace and tranquillity and status quo along the borders of Bhutan, China and India in keeping with the existing agreements between the respective countries”.

According to Wang, it was “natural” for India and China to have problems. “Both India and China are big countries. It is only natural there are some problems in our interactions. What is important is that we put these differences in an appropriate place and under the principle of mutual respect, following the consensus of our leaders, we need to handle and manage them properly,” he said.

Responding to Wang’s comments, the Indian government sources said New Delhi’s policy remains guided by the belief that peace and tranquillity in border areas is an essential pre-requisite for development of bilateral relationships. “The two countries had also agreed in Astana in early June that differences should not be allowed to become disputes and that India-China relations must remain stable,” the source said.

They said that given the acrimony in public over the last two-and-a-half months, the Chinese foreign minister’s reconciliatory statements were “welcome”. Wang also stressed the importance of finding a solution “in the long run” to the decades-old dispute along the nearly 3,500- km border between the two countries. “This shows the Chinese leadership is ready to move on and turn the page,” an Indian source said.

Ahead the next week’s BRICS summit, which Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi will attend, Wang sought to remain positive. “There is huge potential and space for cooperation between India and China. Such co-operation serves the interest of our two countries and peoples. We hope China and India will join hands and work together for the rejuvenation of Asia and for the development of our region and contribute our share to greater development,” he said.

Wang did not confirm whether Modi and Xi would hold bilateral talks on the sidelines of the summit. “The first thing is whether the leaders have the willingness to meet. If there’s a willingness from the leaders participating (in BRICS), the Chinese side will try to make it possible if our schedule permits,” AFP quoted Wang as saying.