NEW DELHI: Taking a swipe at the US, Chinese ambassador to India Xu Feihong said Thursday the “remarkable” development witnessed by India and China is built on the hard work and wisdom of their people and not on someone’s generosity.Xu’s remarks seemed directed at US deputy secretary of state Christopher Landau’s comments earlier that Washington won’t make the mistakes with India that it did with China, allowing Beijing to rival the US. External affairs minister S Jaishankar had responded to Landau’s remarks by asserting that India’s rise will be determined by India alone and not by the mistakes of others. Addressing the India-China youth dialogue, Xu called for promoting the vision of win-win cooperation between the countries.“In recent decades, both China and India have achieved remarkable development. These achievements are built on the hard work and wisdom of our own people, supported by global cooperation, and are by no means the result of others’ generosity,” he said .“Today, both our countries are at a critical stage of development and national rejuvenation. We should achieve development through our own efforts, while actively pursuing mutually beneficial cooperation and supporting each other’s success,” the ambassador added. Xu went on to say that while India and China are neighbours that cannot be moved apart, some people were unwilling to see the two countries live in harmony.“They deliberately amplify our differences, hype up the so-called China threat, and hope to profit from discord between our two countries. In the face of a complex and changing landscape, young people should think independently and step out of the information cocoon and help build a more objective and rational understanding between our two peoples,” said Xu.The ambassador also said that in a world of transformation and turbulence, unilateralism and protectionism are on the rise along with hegemonism, severely undermining the existing international order. “As important members of the Global South, China and India should strengthen communication and coordination, jointly safeguard the legitimate rights and interests of developing countries, and lead the Global South toward greater development,” he said.
