Wang Yi Meets Ajit Doval on BRICS Sidelines
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasised on Monday that it is 'imperative' for India and China to respect each other's core interests and take concrete actions to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of both countries. He made the remarks during a meeting with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on the sidelines of the BRICS National Security Advisers' Meeting in New Delhi, according to China's state-run Xinhua news agency.
Both Wang and Doval serve as the Special Representatives for the India-China border issue. Their discussion covered bilateral relations and the progress of the normalisation process between the two Asian giants.
Partners, Not Rivals: Strategic Consensus
Wang, who is also a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China and director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs, described India as an important neighbour of China. He noted that bilateral relations have returned to a track of recovery and improvement. According to an official press release issued Monday night, Wang stated that the leaders of both countries agreed that China and India are partners instead of rivals, forming the most important strategic consensus between the two sides. This consensus, he added, provides important impetus and a strategic guarantee for the healthy and stable development of China-India relations.
As the two most populous economies, Wang said China and India should view bilateral relations from a long-term perspective and promote cooperation from a global perspective. He urged both sides to take concrete actions to implement the consensus reached by the leaders, promote respective development and revitalisation through cooperation, and accelerate the modernisation process of the Global South.
Core Interests and Border Issue
'It is imperative to respect each other's core interests, properly handle sensitive issues, and place the China-India border issue in an appropriate position, so that it doesn't affect the overall situation of bilateral relations,' Wang said. He stressed the need to advance the restoration of dialogue mechanisms and promote exchanges in trade, finance, law enforcement, and media. Wang also called for actively guiding all sectors of society to form a correct understanding, laying a solid public opinion and social foundation for improving bilateral relations.
In response, External Affairs Ministry spokesman Randhir Jaiswal described the Doval-Wang discussions as 'constructive and forward-looking'. NSA Doval underlined that stable, predictable, and constructive bilateral relations contribute to building trust and better understanding between the two sides.
Recovery After Galwan Clashes
India and China have rolled out a series of measures over the past year to rebuild their relationship after a major downturn following the deadly Galwan Valley clashes in 2020 and a subsequent military face-off that lasted over four years. In August last year, Doval and Wang held a Special Representatives dialogue in New Delhi that produced several outcomes to maintain peace along the border.
