The two countries should not let go of the hard earned momentum of cooperation but instead cherish it, the Chinese government said on Thursday in a guarded reaction to India test firing the nuclear-capable Agni-V missile that can reach deep inside China.
“China and India are
both emerging powers. We are not rivals but cooperative partners. We should cherish the hard-earned momentum of cooperation,” Liu Weimin, foreign ministry spokesperson said when asked whether the missile launch could have security implications for China.
China had taken note of reports about India’s missile launch, Liu said, adding: “the two countries have a sound relationship. During the (recent) 4th Brics meeting the leadership of the two countries agreed on a consensus to further strengthen cooperation.”
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) of China has its own secretive ballistic missile programme and is reported to possess hundreds of nuclear warheads. Its missiles, reports say, have major Indian cities within target. Beijing is also known to have aided the missile programmes of both Pakistan and North Korea.
—Courtesy:HT