India, China reaffirm commitment towards border tranquillity

Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale said India and China have reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace and tranquillity along the border areas.

Addressing a press briefing after Prime Minister Narendra Modi's meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit here, he said, "Both PM Modi and President Xi Jinping have reaffirmed once again their readiness to give the necessary direction to their militaries to enhance communications between them and to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas."

Furthermore, Gokhale said an Indian delegation will visit China on August 1 and 2 to examine ways to enhance trade and exports.

"An important issue which Prime Minister Modi has raised with President Xi at his previous meetings is how to enhance Indian exports to China, particularly agricultural exports. It has been decided that an Indian trade delegation will be travelling to China on August 1 and 2," he noted.

The Foreign Secretary further stated that the two leaders were particularly satisfied by the efforts that are being made by officials on both sides to strengthen the engagement and implement some of the decisions and understandings reached at Wuhan in April.

During the meeting held along the sidelines of the BRICS Summit, Prime Minister Modi and President Xi addressed several issues, including the upcoming Chinese delegation's visit to India this year.

"The two leaders also agreed that the high-level people-to-people mechanism which will be established on the two sides and will be headed by External affairs minister on the Indian side and the state council and Chinese minister on the Chinese side will also meet this year," Gokhale added.

Prime Minister Modi and President Xi's meeting comes three months after the informal summit held in China's Wuhan city.

During the Prime Minister's visit to China in April, both the leaders held delegation-level talks and underscored the need for strengthening bilateral relations between India and China.

While Prime Minister Modi had said that the bilateral relations between the two Asian giants would be based on shared vision and strong relationship, President Xi agreed to cooperate and work with India to seek guidance.

The two leaders will next meet in Argentina at the G20 Summit in November this year.