Chinese Vice President Han Zheng said on Monday that India and China need to advance practical cooperation and respect mutual concerns to ensure stable development of bilateral ties, according to state news agency Xinhua.
Han made the remarks during a meeting with India's External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Beijing.
The Indian minister is attending a regional security meeting under the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Tianjin in northern China on July 15 and holding bilateral meetings on the sidelines.
What did Jaishankar say during his Beijing visit?
In his opening remarks during the meeting with Vice President Han, Jaishankar commended the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties between India and China and said the "continued normalization of our ties can produce mutually beneficial outcomes."
He called for "an open exchange of views and perspectives between India and China" in an international situation that is becoming increasingly complex.
In a post on X, Jaishankar said he conveyed India's support for China's SCO leadership and noted improvements in bilateral relations.
The foreign minister said he expressed confidence that discussions during his "visit will maintain that positive trajectory."
Beijing has positioned the 10-member SCO as a counterbalance to Western alliances and continues to promote deeper collaboration among member states in areas such as security, trade, and science.
New Delhi also participates in the "Quad" group alongside the United States, Japan and Australia.
India-China strengthen relations
Last month, on the sidelines of the SCO defense ministers' meeting in China's Qingdao, Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said India seeks a permanent solution to its longstanding border dispute with China.
Singh made the comments during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun, as the ministers held in-depth talks on the need to maintain peace along the India-China frontier.
In 2020, deadly military clashes at the disputed border in the Himalayas prompted India to officially cut passenger flights to mainland China, ban numerous Chinese apps, and limit Chinese investment in the country.
The thaw in relations between the neighbors also led to the resumption of direct passenger flights in January, after almost five years without a direct connection amid deteriorating ties between Beijing and New Delhi, the founding members of the BRICS bloc.
