India, China need to boost cooperation, manage differences: Chinese envoy

Chinese Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held a meeting in Kazan on Wednesday. Xu stressed that the best way to advance the fundamental interests of both nations is to keep to the trend of history and the right direction of bilateral relations.

He stated that India and China need to strengthen cooperation and communication and properly manage their differences and disagreements. He emphasised that two nations should set an example in boosting the strength and unity of developing nations.

In a post on X, Xu Feihong stated, "President Xi Jinping met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The best way to advance the fundamental interests of China and India and their peoples is for both sides to keep to the trend of history and the right direction of bilateral relations."   

 

"The two sides need to strengthen communication and cooperation, properly manage their differences and disagreements, and facilitate each other's pursuit of development aspirations. The two countries must also shoulder their international responsibility, and set an example in boosting the strength and unity of developing countries," he added.

PM Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday in the Russian city of Kazan on the sidelines of the Brics Summit. The meeting marked the first formal structured interaction between the two leaders in five years. The meeting between two leaders came after India and China reached an agreement on resuming regular patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

The two leaders on Wednesday welcomed the agreement on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh and agreed that the Special Representatives will meet at an early date to oversee the management of peace and tranquility in border areas and to explore a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary question.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who addressed a media briefing on PM Modi's visit to Russia for the Brics meeting, said PM Modi underscored the importance of not allowing differences on boundary-related matters to disturb peace and tranquillity on borders.

He said the two leaders have given instructions for various official and other bilateral mechanisms between the two countries to be activated.

"PM Modi met with President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the 16th Brics Summit. This was their first proper bilateral meeting at delegation level in nearly 5 years, the last one being on the sidelines of the Brics Summit in Brasilia in 2019. This meeting happened close on the heels of the disengagement and patrolling agreement and the resolution of issues that had arisen in the India-China border areas in 2020," Misri said.

"The two leaders welcomed the agreement reached between the two sides through sustained dialogue over the last several weeks in diplomatic as well as military channels. PM Modi underscored the importance of not allowing differences on boundary-related matters to disturb peace and tranquillity on our borders. The two leaders noted that the special representatives on the India-China boundary question have a critical role to play in the resolution of the boundary question and for the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas," he added.

Misri said the two leaders also reviewed the state of bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective.

"They were of the view that stable bilateral relations between India and China, the two largest nations on earth will have a positive impact on regional and global peace and prosperity. Both of them stressed that with maturity and wisdom, and by showing mutual respect for each other's sensitivities, interests, concerns and aspirations, the two countries can have a peaceful, stable and beneficial bilateral relationship," he said.

Misri said officials will now take the next steps to discuss enhancing strategic communication and stabilizing bilateral relations.

He said, "The restoration of peace and tranquility in the border areas will create space for returning us towards the path of normalization of our bilateral relations. Officials will now take the next steps to discuss enhancing strategic communication and stabilizing bilateral relations by utilizing the relevant official bilateral dialogue mechanisms, including at the level of our respective foreign ministers."

Misri said PM Modi and President Xi Jinping welcomed the efforts that were made by Indian and Chinese negotiators and the results that were achieved.

"It is certainly our expectation that as a result of not only the agreement that was arrived at just a couple of days ago between Indian and Chinese diplomatic and military negotiators but also as a result of the endorsement of that agreement at the highest leader level, possible between the two countries as happened in the meeting today where both Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping welcomed the efforts that were made by Indian and Chinese negotiators and the results that were achieved by that. I think these should certainly lead to an easing of the situation along the LAC. We have a number of confidence-building measures and these evolve continuously. As the two sides engage once again in multiple formats, this is certainly a subject that I think will be under discussion between the two sides," he said.

"In so far as Depsang and Demchok is concerned, if you see the statements that I have made over the last 48 to 72 hours, I think the answer should be quite clear. I have made the point that the last time we had an agreement on the several issues that had arisen in the India-China border areas since 2020, the last agreement was in 2022 in September. Since then, we had been involved in trying to find a resolution of the pending issues in the balance areas along the Line of Actual Control, which pertain to these areas that you have mentioned. The agreement that has been arrived at essentially pertains to these areas," he added.

The meeting between the two leaders came after the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) announced on October 21 that an agreement had been reached between two nations regarding patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the India-China border areas.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri told media persons that the agreement "is the outcome of extensive discussions over the past several weeks with Chinese interlocutors at both diplomatic and military levels."

PM Modi's last formal bilateral meeting with Xi Jinping was in October 2019 in Mahabalipuram, Tamil Nadu months before the June 2020 clashes in Galwan that led to a military standoff. The two leaders met briefly during the G20 meeting in Indonesia's Bali in 2022 and then in Johannesburg, South Africa (2023).

The border standoff between India and China began in eastern Ladakh along the LAC in 2020, sparked by Chinese military actions. This incident led to prolonged tensions between the two nations, significantly straining their relations.