Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said during a meeting with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Wednesday that, with the joint efforts of both sides, peace and tranquility have been maintained in the border areas, and emphasized that China is willing to properly handle sensitive issues with India.
According to an announcement on the official website of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Wang Yi said, when meeting Jaishankar in Manila, Philippines, that over the past two years, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Modi successfully had meetings in Kazan and Tianjin, where the two leaders agreed that China and India are partners rather than competitors, development opportunities rather than threats for each other, leading China-India relations back onto a track of improvement and development. With joint efforts from both sides, mechanisms of exchanges between the two countries have been gradually restored, peace and tranquility have been maintained in the border areas, and bilateral trade volume has reached a record high again. These achievements have not come easily and should be cherished.
Wang Yi also said that, as representatives of emerging economies and important members of the Global South, China and India should be committed to human welfare, demonstrate the responsibility of major countries, consolidate the positive momentum in bilateral relations, and strengthen coordination and cooperation in international and regional affairs.
Wang Yi emphasized that China is willing to maintain close high-level exchanges with India, strengthen cooperation in areas such as economy and trade, media, and people-to-people exchanges, properly handle sensitive issues, and "promote correct mutual understanding among people from all sectors of the two countries. On the basis of peaceful coexistence, explore a way for neighboring major countries to respect each other, trust each other, develop together, and achieve common prosperity."
Jaishankar, on his part, said that India and China should resolve some important issues in their bilateral relations, especially fair market access and trade balance.