FM Wang's Delhi visit aims to advance key bilateral agreements, says China

China on Monday said Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to India was aimed at working with New Delhi to deliver on important understandings reached between the leaders of the two sides and decisions taken during the previous round of border talks.

Wang is on a two-day visit to India from Monday to participate in the 24th round of Special Representatives (SRs) talks on the border issue with NSA Ajit Doval.

Doval travelled to China in December and held the 23rd round of talks with Wang, weeks after Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping decided to revive various dialogue mechanisms between the two sides at their meeting in the Russian city of Kazan on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in October.

Through Wang's visit, China hopes to work with India to deliver on the important common understandings reached between the leaders, maintain high-level exchanges, enhance political trust, promote practical cooperation, properly handle differences, and promote the sustained, sound and steady development of China-India relations, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said.

The SR-level talks on the India-China Boundary Question are a high-level channel for the two countries' boundary negotiations, Mao said, commenting on Wang's visit at a media briefing here on Monday.

During the 23rd round of talks in Beijing, the two sides reached several common understandings on delimitation, negotiation, border management mechanism, cross-border exchanges and cooperation, she said.

Since the beginning of this year, the two sides have maintained communication through diplomatic channels and actively advanced the implementation of those outcomes, she said.

For the upcoming round of talks, China stands ready to continue an in-depth communication with India on the above-mentioned issues on the basis of the existing common understandings and with a positive and constructive attitude, and together maintain sustained peace and tranquility in the border areas, she said.

To a question on the progress made on the boundary negotiations and how China see the prospects of a settlement, Mao said the SR-level talks are a constructive and positive mechanism for both sides on the border issue.

The 23rd round of talks saw many important consensus and the two sides are implementing the series of consensus, she said.

China looks forward to working with India, firstly to follow up on what has been agreed and on that basis will continue communication to maintain stability and tranquility across the border region, she said.

While in India, Wang will also have an in-depth exchange of views with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on bilateral ties and issues of mutual interest, she said.

Wang's visit comes ahead of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit scheduled to be held on August 31 September 1. Prime Minister Modi is expected to attend the summit.