China, India exchange views on ‘issues of common interest, including Indo-Pacific’
- Indian Foreign Secretary Vijay Keshav Gokhale meets Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and other top diplomats as part of ‘regular exchanges’
- Visit comes amid tensions over Beijing’s refusal to sanction a Pakistani militant leader and ahead of Belt and Road Forum, which India won’t attend
The visit comes as New Delhi is dismayed over Beijing’s refusal to sanction the head of a Pakistan-based militant group, and days before China’s Belt and Road Forum – a key diplomatic event to be attended by 37 foreign leaders, but not India.
Gokhale sat down with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi at the Zhongnanhai government compound on Monday morning as part of “regular exchanges” between the countries. Both sides called for more cooperation, after an informal meeting between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Wuhan, Hubei province last year.
The summit evoked the eponymous “Wuhan spirit” to reset bilateral ties after a tense border stand-off at Doklam in 2017 that led the two powers to the brink of war.
Wang said in remarks before the meeting that the two neighbours should work to continue strengthening their communication, coordinating on major affairs and enhancing mutual trust, according to Chinese state media.