India, China can handle their differences maturely: Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that India and China handle their differences "with sensitivity and maturity," not allowing them to snowball into disputes.

The Prime Minister's observation came during a meeting with Chinese Defence Minister General Wei Fenghe who called on Modi.

"Terming India-China relations as a factor of stability in the world, the Prime Minister said that maintenance of peace and tranquility in the border areas is indicative of the sensitivity and maturity with which India and China handle their differences, not allowing them to become disputes," a release from the PMO said.

Modi also appreciated the "increased momentum" of high-level contacts between India and China in all spheres, including in areas of defence and military exchanges.

"The Prime Minister also warmly recalled his recent meetings with President Xi Jinping in Wuhan, Qingdao and Johannesburg," it said.

The Indian and Chinese troops were locked in a 73-day-long stand-off at Doklam tri-junction in the Sikkim sector between June 16 and August 28 last year when the People's Liberation Army (PLA) of China tried to build a road in the region.

Amidst apprehensions, the stand-off was finally resolved through diplomatic efforts.

--IANS

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