
India's External Affairs minister S Jaishankar met with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Friday (Feb 21) on the sidelines of the G20 Foreign Ministers' meet.
Both the leaders discussed bilateral relations and global challenges.
Chinese foreign minister Yi said that the country's leaders have set out in the direction of improving the relationship.
"We affirm that China and India as two Asian civilisations and neighbours should engage in mutually beneficial cooperation," he said.
Yi said that in the bilateral relationship, the most important thing last year was the summit meeting between President Xi Jinping and Indian PM Narendra Modi in Kazan.
Prior to the meeting, EAM Jaishankar stressed that India and China are members of BRICS, SCO and G20. "There are also regional and global issues of mutual interests wherein the exchange of perspectives will be to our mutual benefit. I look forward to our conversation today."
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He pointed that gatherings like the G20 have provided opportunities for dialogue even during challenging phases in India-China relations.
Jaishankar acknowledged the collaborative efforts of both the countries in supporting G20 amid a polarized global landscape, highlighting the importance of international cooperation.
“Such gatherings have provided an opportunity for our interaction even when our ties were going through a difficult phase,” Jaishankar said. “We should also recognize that in a polarized global situation, our two countries have worked hard to preserve and protect the G20 as an institution.”
He further mentioned key visits by the Indian NSA and Foreign Secretary to China since the leaders' last meeting during the G20 Summit in Rio de Janeiro in November last year.
“Our discussions have included the management of peace and tranquility in the border areas as well as other dimensions of our ties. I am glad today to have a further exchange of views,” Jaishankar said.
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(With inputs from agencies)