ISTANBUL 

China said on Friday that Beijing “stands ready to work with India to sum up past experience, forge a path forward, and advance China-India relations on the track of sound and stable development.”

Bilateral ties “have made positive strides” last year, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a press conference on Friday, when talking about relations between China and India, according to a government statement.

Beijing and Delhi are “each other’s largest neighbors,” he added.

“China always believes that the two should be partners that contribute to each other’s success,” said the top Chinese diplomat, noting that cooperation between the two countries is the correct choice.

He stated that as the two major developing nations, there is no reason to “undercut each other,” while there are many reasons to “work with each other.”

China and India have the responsibility to oppose “hegemonism and power politics,” he also said, adding that Beijing and Delhi must “uphold the basic norms governing international relations.”

“When China and India join hands, the prospects for greater democracy in international relations and a stronger Global South will improve greatly,” he concluded.