External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar on Monday said that the India-China relationship has been gradually moving in a positive direction since the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan in October 2024.
“Our bilateral relationship requires that we take a far-sighted approach to our ties. Since our leaders’ meeting in Kazan in October 2024, the India-China relationship has been gradually moving in a positive direction. Our responsibility is to maintain that momentum,” Jaishankar said in his opening remarks during a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
He added, “We have made good progress in the past nine months towards the normalization of our bilateral relations. This is a result of resolving friction along the border and our ability to maintain peace and tranquillity there. This remains the fundamental basis for mutual strategic trust and for the smooth development of bilateral relations. It is now incumbent upon us to address other aspects related to the border, including de-escalation.”
The EAM is currently in China — his first visit to the country since the violent confrontation in the Galwan Valley in May 2020 — to attend the SCO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting being held in Tianjin.
Congratulating China on a successful Presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), Jaishankar noted that the two sides have had several opportunities in recent months to meet at international events and maintain strategic communication.
“We will be meeting tomorrow and India is committed to ensuring good outcomes and decisions,” he said, expressing hope for more regular bilateral meetings to take place in each other’s countries.
The External Affairs Minister also thanked China for its cooperation in resuming the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra after a gap of five years.
“As neighbouring nations and major global economies, there are various facets and dimensions to our ties. Measures towards normalising our people-to-people exchanges can certainly foster mutually beneficial cooperation. It is also essential in this context that restrictive trade measures and roadblocks are avoided. I hope to discuss these issues in further detail,” Jaishankar said.
Highlighting that both countries are marking the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations, the EAM emphasised that stable and constructive ties between India and China are in the interest of the entire world.
“This is best achieved by handling relations on the basis of mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity. We have also agreed earlier that differences should not become disputes, nor should competition ever turn into conflict. On this foundation, we can continue to develop our ties along a positive trajectory,” he stated.
During Monday’s meeting, both sides exchanged views on global and regional issues and will hold discussions in the SCO format on Tuesday.
Looking forward to a “constructive and forward-looking exchange” of views, the EAM reiterated that the SCO’s primary mandate is to “combat terrorism, separatism and extremism.”
“This is a shared concern and India hopes that zero tolerance for terrorism will be strongly upheld,” Jaishankar said.
–IANS