Speaking about India-China ties, the Chinese foreign minister said, "If China and India are united, one plus one will become eleven instead of two." Bilateral ties between India and China were affected by a number of issues last year

Beijing: The Chinese dragon and Indian elephant must not fight but dance with each other, China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi said today as he called on the two nations to shed mental inhibitions, manage differences and meet each other half way to enhance bilateral ties.

Mr Wang's remarks came during his annual press conference on the sidelines of the parliamentary session.

Asked how China views relations with India this year after turbulence in ties in 2017 due to a number of issues including the Doklam standoff, Mr Wang said, "Despite some tests and difficulties, the China-India relationship continues to grow".

Bilateral ties were affected by a number of issues last year, including the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor which passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, China blocking efforts at the United Nations to list terror group Jaish-e-Mohammed chief Masood Azhar as a global terrorist as well as India's entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group or NSG.

Troops of India and China were locked in a 73-day-long standoff in Doklam in the Sikkim sector. The standoff ended on August 28 after the Chinese military stopped the illegal construction of a road close to India's strategic 'chicken's neck' corridor connecting the northeastern states to the rest of the country.

Touted as Chinese President Xi Jinping's ambitious project, the Belt and Road Initiative focuses on improving connectivity and cooperation among Asian countries, Africa, China and Europe.

The Belt and Road Initiative also includes the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor or CPEC which India strongly opposes as it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir.