India-China ties showing 'new characteristics': Chinese daily

BEIJING: Describing 2012 as the least problematic year in India-China ties, an influential Chinese daily has said the relations are showing "new characteristics" after "effectively controlling" problems at the borders and "huge progress" on the trade front.

"Since the beginning of this year, China and India have expressed their desire to deepen bilateral cooperation, achieve common development, and to jointly create a glorious future," the ruling Communist Party's mouthpiece 'People's Daily' said in an editorial.

" Sino-India relations are showing new characteristics: the boundary problem has been effectively controlled; huge progress in economic and trade cooperation is also accompanied by some technical level frictions and trade imbalance worries," said the editorial titled 'The world needs common development of China and India'.

Referring to recent comments in Indian media that last year witnessed least problems in bilateral ties, the editorial said, "Such views are the true portrayal of the current status of Sino-Indian relations with its genesis in the positive energy generated by the sustained and stable development in Sino-Indian relations".

The development of Sino-India relations to this stage is inseparable from the two countries' adherence to their own paths and steady and rapid economic development of both the countries provided strong support for Asia to become the engine of the global economy, it said.

"While international influence of China and India is constantly growing, so is the debate about Sino-Indian relations' 'spill over effect' extending to the third party and to the maritime issues," it said, referring to both countries expanding there spheres of influences in each other's neighbourhoods.