NEW DELHI: Chinese envoy Xu Feihong, who was sent to New Delhi earlier this month to fill a position that was vacant for nearly 18 months, presented his credentials to President Droupadi Murmu on Friday.
The new British high commissioner, Lindy Elizabeth Cameron, and the envoys of five other countries also presented their credentials at the same ceremony held at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.
Xu takes over the position at a time when India-China relations are at their lowest ebb in six decades because of the dragging military standoff on the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which is currently in its fifth year.
Soon after his arrival in India, Xu said he would work to deepen understanding and friendship between the two sides and restore cooperation in various fields. He also reiterated the Chinese position that the border issue should be put in its “appropriate place” in the overall relationship.
The Indian side, however, has linked the normalisation of the overall bilateral relationship to the restoration of peace and tranquillity on the LAC. India and China have been unable to resolve “friction points” at Depsamg and Demchok despite dozens of rounds of diplomatic and military talks.
Among Cameron’s priorities will be overseeing efforts to finalise an India-UK free trade agreement (FTA). Though negotiations for the trade deal began in 2022 and have entered the 14th round, the two sides are yet to resolve their differences on contentious issues such as tariffs on British whisky and automobiles, market access and mobility of professionals.
The other envoys who presented their credentials on Friday were Patrick John Rata of New Zealand, Fernando Xavier Bucheli Vargas of Ecuador, Meshal Mustafa J Alshemali of Kuwait, Alassane Conte of Guinea, and Jagnnath Sami of Fiji.