Wang Yi, Jaishankar discuss strengthening China-India ties at G20

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met with Indian External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Friday to discuss bilateral ties on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' Meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa.

Wang, also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, recalled the successful meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kazan, Russia, last year, which set the general direction for the improvement and development of bilateral relations. During the meeting, the two sides agreed that China and India, as two ancient civilizations and neighboring countries, should trust and support each other for achieving mutual success.

Exchanges at all levels between the two countries have resumed in an orderly manner, while the special representatives on the boundary issue have reached consensus on properly handling specific differences, Wang said.

He noted that restoring mutual trust and achieving win-win cooperation aligns with the common expectations of the two peoples. Both sides should fundamentally adhere to the consensus reached by their leaders and ensure that bilateral relations remain on the right track.

China is ready to work with India to plan commemorative activities for the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties between the two countries, injecting new momentum into the development of bilateral relations, Wang added.

Jaishankar, for his part, said the Kazan meeting between Modi and Xi had provided crucial guidance for improving India-China relations, leading to the gradual resumption of exchanges in various fields and yielding remarkable results.

Noting that the establishment of mutual trust between India and China serves the interests of both sides, Jaishankar said India cherishes the hard-won achievements in improving bilateral relations and stands ready to work with China to accelerate the resumption of cooperation mechanisms, enhance people-to-people exchanges, facilitate cross-border travel, and jointly safeguard peace and tranquility in the border areas.

As both India and China are members of the G20, the Shanghai Cooperation Organization and BRICS, it is particularly important for the two countries to strengthen coordination. India is willing to strengthen communication and coordination with China in this regard, Jaishankar added.