China urges India to refrain from ‘mutual suspicion’
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi has called on India and China to enhance trust and understanding as the two nations work to implement last year’s decision on de-escalating their prolonged border standoff. The remarks were made on Monday during a meeting with Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri in Beijing.
Yi emphasized that the two countries should refrain from mutual suspicion, mutual estrangement, and mutual exhaustion, according to Chinese outlet CGTN. The foreign minister also highlighted that improving and developing bilateral ties aligns with the interests of both countries and helps contribute to peace and stability in Asia and globally.
The Indian foreign secretary was quoted by the report as saying that the two sides have “engaged in a series of beneficial dialogues and communications, properly managed and resolved differences” and agreed to resume cooperation in several fields. This meeting marked a continuation of diplomatic efforts to address the standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), a disputed border between the two nations.
Relations between the two countries have been strained since the 2020 Galwan Valley clash, where soldiers from both sides were killed. Following multiple rounds of military and diplomatic talks, in October last year New Delhi and Beijing announced an agreement on disengagement from the friction points and work on normalizing ties.
The announcement of a truce came on the eve of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, where the leaders of the two South Asian countries, Xi Jinping and Narendra Modi, held an extensive bilateral meeting. It was the first such meeting in nearly five years, according to New Delhi.
The current visit of Misri to Beijing is the second high-profile visit from India to China in less than two months. In December, Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval travelled to Beijing and met Yi to discuss key bilateral issues, focusing on managing the peace along their contested border.
News outlet The Hindu previously reported that Misri, who formerly served as India’s ambassador to Beijing, is set to meet Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong in Beijing. Sun was the Chinese Ambassador to India from 2019 to 2022. The two sides are expected to discuss several issues, including the resumption of direct flights between India and China, the issuance of visas – especially for businesspeople and journalists – and the resolution of trade concerns.
