NEW DELHI, Oct. 1 (Xinhua) -- China-India relations go far beyond the bilateral scope and have great regional and global significance, Chinese Ambassador to India Sun Weidong has said.

At a virtual meeting to celebrate the 71st national day of the People's Republic of China Tuesday, the Chinese ambassador said a sound China-India relationship is an important and positive factor in maintaining world stability, and as two great civilizations, China and India can also make great contributions to building a community with a shared future for humankind.

The growth of China and India is a global trend and an important opportunity for both countries, Sun said, adding that the two sides should firmly grasp the general direction of the relationship, regard each other as positive factors in the changing balance of power in the world, and maturely manage their differences.

"China and India have consensus in these aspects, on which we can move our bilateral relations in a positive and constructive direction," he said.

The ambassador said promoting the China-India friendship needs the participation of more people with insight.

"Only by deepening exchanges can we increase understanding; only by increasing understanding can we deepen mutual understanding and establish genuine trust and friendship," he said.

He noted that this year the people-to-people exchanges have been affected by the pandemic and other factors. However, the history of friendly exchanges between the two peoples, which has lasted more than two thousand years, won't be hampered by the pandemic or temporary difficulties in bilateral relations.

Sun said that as China-India relations confront challenges, it is all the more important for those who care about the relationship to play a positive role in strengthening public opinion on bilateral ties.