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While responding to a Western media journalist's query over China's reaction to Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks that the Indian armed forces have given a befitting reply to those challenging the country's sovereignty, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that the country is willing to safeguard the long-term development of bilateral ties.
"We noted Prime Minister Modi's remarks. As two neighbors and emerging major countries each with a population of over 1 billion, the growth of China-India relations will not only benefit our two countries and peoples, but also add stability and positive energy to peace and prosperity of the region and the world at large," Zhao Lijian said at a regular media briefing on Monday.
The Chinese spokesman added, "Mutual respect and support between China and India is the right path and serves the long-term interests of both countries. China will continue to work with India to enhance political mutual trust, properly manage differences, strengthen practical cooperation and jointly uphold the big picture of bilateral relations. "
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Without naming any country specifically, PM Modi in his remarkable speech on 74th Independence Day on August 15 spoke about India's recent clash with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in June in which 20 Indian soldiers lost lives.
"From LoC (Line of Control) to LAC (Line of Actual Control), anyone who casts an eye on the sovereignty of the country, the armed forces have responded in the language they understand," Modi said.
Paying tribute to the martyred soldiers, PM Modi talked about strengthening the Indian armed forces and said the country’s territorial integrity is supreme.