India, China should not lose sight of business in wake of political differences: Foreign Secy

Asserting that New Delhi will invest more energy to boost Indo-China ties, Foreign Secretary S. Jaishankar on Wednesday said the two nations should not lose sight of the strategic nature of their engagement in the wake of differences on certain political issues.

Addressing the second day of the Raisina Dialogue here, Jaishankar said though ties between New Delhi and Beijing have suffered pain in the past, India in the coming year will make fresh endeavours to strengthen ties with China.

"With China, the overall broadening of ties, especially in business and people-to-people contacts, has been overshadowed by differences on certain political issues. But it is important for the two countries not to lose sight of the strategic nature of their engagement, or falter in their conviction that their rise can be mutually supportive. We will continue to invest more energy into this account in 2017," Jaishankar said.

Addressing the inaugural session of the second edition of Raisina Dialogue yesterday, Prime Minister Narendra Modi took a strategic stand on China and said ties between the two Asian giants have immense economic opportunities.

"I see the rise of India and China as an unprecedented economic opportunity for our two countries, and for the whole world. At the same time, it is not unnatural for two large neighbouring powers to have some difference," he said.