Expansion in India-China ties in mutual interest of both nations: Kovind

President Ram Nath Kovind on Friday said expansion of India-China ties in all spheres is in "mutual interest" of both the countries as he met the visiting foreign minister of the neighbouring country here.

The Chinese foreign minister , Wang Yi, called on Kovind at the Rashtrapati Bhavan.

The President, a Rashtrapati Bhavan spokesperson said, welcomed Yi and said India-China relations are an important part of his country's foreign policy.

"As two major countries, expansion of cooperation bilaterally as well as regionally and internationally is in our mutual interest.

"India looks forward to its continued engagement with China for further strengthening of bilateral relations based on mutual trust and understanding and with due consideration to each other's concerns, aspirations and sensitivities," the spokesperson said quoting the President.

The Chinese foreign minister arrived in India early Friday on a four-day visit primarily to attend the first meeting of the new mechanism which was agreed to in the informal summit between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping in Wuhan in April.