China reacts to PM Modi, says wants 'mutually acceptable solution to issues with India'

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Beijing: In a guarded response to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's comments that India has a "whole lot of problems" with China, Beijing said on Tuesday it will be in dialogue with New Delhi to find a "fair, sensible and mutually acceptable solution" to the contentious issues.

"We have noted the relevant report. China-India relationship is in a generally good state," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told PTI here in response to questions on Modi's interview to a private TV news channel.

"Common interests between the two countries far outweigh their differences. The Chinese side will work with the Indian side to steer the bilateral relations, and deepen cooperation in different fields," Hong said.

"As for problems in the bilateral relations, the Chinese side will stay in communication and dialogue with the Indian side to find a fair, sensible and mutually acceptable solution," he said, referring to Modi's remarks.

Modi had said that "We have an ongoing dialogue with China and it should continue to happen. We don't have one problem with China, we have a whole lot of problems pending with China. There are so many issues."

On India getting the membership of Missile Technology Control Regime (MTCR) ahead of China, Hong said, "we have noted that some of the multilateral export control regimes have changed in one way or another. With that in mind, China is assessing the effectiveness of the MTCR in safeguarding the international non-proliferation regime."

China is yet to be inducted into the 34-member MTCR regime. India became 35th member yesterday.

Reports say China, which blocked India's membership in the Nuclear Suppliers Group (NSG), is lobbying to become member of the MTCR group.

The MTCR restricts the proliferation of missiles, rocket systems, unmanned air vehicles, or drones, and the technology for systems capable of carrying a payload of 500 kilograms for at least 300 kms.