BEIJING - China and India need to help each other succeed instead of undercutting each other, and they should strengthen cooperation instead of harboring suspicion at each other, Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi said Sunday.

The China-India relationship is essentially about how the world's two largest developing countries get along and pursue development and rejuvenation together, Wang said.

The China-India relationship is essentially about how the world's two largest developing countries get along and pursue development and rejuvenation together, said Foreign Minister Wang Yi

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As ancient civilizations, neighbors, and major emerging economies each with a population of more than one billion, China and India share extensive common interests and have enormous potential for cooperation, he said.

Both countries shoulder the historic mission of improving people's wellbeing and accelerating development at home and at the same time carry the expectations to safeguard the common interests of developing countries and contribute to world multi-polarity, Wang noted.

The similar national conditions of the two countries also mean that they share the same or similar positions on many major issues, he said.

"Therefore," Wang stressed, "China and India are each other's friends and partners, not threats or rivals."

Border disputes, an issue left over from history, are not the whole story of China-India relations, Wang said, urging both sides to properly manage differences and strengthen cooperation to create favorable conditions for the settlement of the boundary issue.

The truth on last year's border clashes is clear, he said. "What happened again proves that initiating confrontation will not solve the problem, and that returning to peaceful negotiation is the right way forward."

"China's position on resolving boundary disputes through dialogue is clear, and China's determination to safeguard its sovereignty and interests is firm," Wang stressed.

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Both sides should consolidate existing consensus, strengthen dialogue and communication, improve the control mechanism and jointly safeguard peace in the border areas, he said, expressing hope that India will meet China halfway in the new year to benefit both peoples.