NEW DELHI: China expects India to take “positive measures” for resuming direct flights and visas for Chinese citizens, and to provide a “sound business environment” for Chinese enterprises, Chinese ambassador Xu Feihong said.

Chinese ambassador Xu Feihong was speaking at a public event that focused on the theme of India and China contributing to each other’s success. 

Xu’s remarks came against the backdrop of the dragging military standoff between the two countries in the Ladakh sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which has taken bilateral ties to their lowest point in more than six decades. The Indian side has consistently said the overall relationship cannot be normalised without peace and tranquillity on the border.

The Chinese envoy made no direct reference to the face-off on the LAC, currently into its fifth year, but only said the two sides should prevent their cooperation “being disrupted by a single incident”. There was no immediate response from the Indian side to Xu’s remarks, made at a public event that focused on the theme of India and China contributing to each other’s success.

“We are willing to advance exchanges and cooperation with India in science and technology, education, culture and tourism. We also expect positive measures from India in resuming direct flights and facilitating visas for Chinese citizens,” Xu said.

“We welcome more Indian [commodities] to enter the Chinese market, and more Indian enterprises to invest in China. It is hoped that the Indian side could provide [a] sound business environment for the Chinese enterprises in India,” he said.

Since the start of the standoff on the LAC in April-May 2020, India has taken steps to effectively restrict new Chinese investments and banned more than 400 Chinese apps, including TikTok. Restrictions were imposed on visas for Chinese citizens and direct flights from the Indian side were ended amid the Covid-19 pandemic. Chinese firms have also faced greater scrutiny of their operations in India.

In recent months, Indian businesses have pushed for visas to be issued to Chinese experts needed to install equipment and train personnel at manufacturing units.

However, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said last month that India has a “special China problem” and the standoff on the LAC and the state of bilateral relations underline the need for precautions, such as scrutiny of Chinese investments.

India-China trade ballooned to $136.2 billion in 2023, though the balance was in Beijing’s favour, with Chinese exports accounting for more than $100 billion. New Delhi has also complained about the lack of market access for Indian goods.

Xu, however, pitched investment opportunities in his country and said India and China should jointly advance the modernisation of the Global South. He also pointed to Chinese firms creating jobs in India and more than 400,000 visas issued to Indians since last year.

Pointing to the need to “firmly steer” ties in the right direction and to accommodate each other’s “major concerns”, Xu said: “We need to properly handle differences through dialogue, steadily promote exchanges and cooperation...in various fields, prevent our cooperation from being disrupted by a single incident, and jointly usher in a new chapter in China-India relations.”

Xu contended bilateral relations are at a “crucial stage of improvement and development” and noted that Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi met Jaishankar twice in the past two months and also met National Security Adviser Ajit Doval recently. This meetings had resulted in “important consensus on the improvement of bilateral relations”, he said without giving details.