India-China border issue: China's Ambassador to India says bilateral channels have been open after Galwan, no fresh standoff between forces

At a time when the Indian government is looking at ways to reduce its dependence on China across various sectors, China's Ambassador to India Sun Weidong has said that India and China should attract each other like magnets rather than be separated forcefully.

In an interview with CNBC-TV18 on August 28, Weidong emphasised the need for the two countries to meet halfway in order bring the bilateral relationship back on track. He said it would be a miscalculation to treat a close neighbour as an enemy on the basis of one incident, referring to the recent clash between Indian and Chinese troops at Ladakh's Galwan Valley in June earlier this year.

Following the Galwan Valley clash where 20 Indian soldiers were killed in action, the Indian government has announced several steps to bring down its import dependence on China. It also announced a ban on 59 Chinese apps, citing security concerns, amid simmering anti-China sentiment in the country.

The Chinese Ambassador, in his interview, said that the channels of communication between the two countries have been smooth and open following the Galwan Valley clash, and that the existing situation on the ground is under control. Adding that there is no fresh standoff between the two forces, he said an early resolution of the boundary dispute is welcome.