China Says Border Issue with India Should Not Be Linked with Bilateral Relations

China on Friday said the border issue with India should not be linked with bilateral ties, even as it welcomed External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar's remarks on the significance their ties and the importance New Delhi attached to relations with Beijing.

"I have noted his remarks," China's Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing here while responding to a question on the online address by Jaishankar to the 13th All India Conference of China Studies on Thursday.

"External Affairs Minister Jaishankar's stress on the significance of China-India relations showcases the importance the Indian side attaches to its ties with China. We approve of that," Zhao said in comments posted on the Chinese Foreign Ministry website.