G-20: S. Jaishankar meets China’s foreign minister, first meeting after border agreement
New Delhi| External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi met during the G-20 summit in Rio de Janeiro on Monday night. The two leaders discussed next steps in bilateral relations after reducing border tension. This was their first meeting after India and China signed an agreement for withdrawal of troops on the border in October.
Jaishankar wrote on X that in the meeting held during the G-20, ‘the recent military withdrawal in the India-China border areas was discussed. The next steps in our bilateral relations were considered’. China’s Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said at a briefing in Beijing on Monday that his country is ready to ‘enhance strategic mutual trust’.
This conversation between the two top diplomats took place after the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan last month. After the Kazan meeting, both the countries had succeeded in reducing border tension.
During the BRICS summit in Kazan, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping had stressed after their meeting that the Foreign Minister level meeting would be held as soon as possible. “In Kazan, our leaders reached a consensus on taking the next steps in mutual relations in keeping with the October 21 understanding”, Jaishankar said ahead of the meeting with Wang “I am pleased to note that the implementation of that understanding on the ground has proceeded as planned”, he said.
“China stands ready to work with India to advance the important common understanding between the leaders of the two countries, enhance communication and cooperation, and enhance strategic mutual trust”, Lin said On 21 October, India had announced the reaching of a border agreement with China, beginning the end of the long-standing impasse.
Ratifying the agreement the next day, Beijing said ‘relevant matters’ had been resolved and it would work closely with New Delhi to implement the terms of the agreement.
