‘Partners, not rivals’: China, India agree to boost ties as top officials meet

China and India affirmed their commitment to improving bilateral ties and maintaining border peace in a meeting on Monday between Shri Ajit Doval, the Indian national security adviser, and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing.

Wang said bilateral relations had achieved some positive progress and it was essential for both sides to further enhance communication, build mutual trust, and work towards resolving practical issues, according to a readout from the Chinese foreign ministry.

He called on both sides to stick to the consensus that they were “each other’s development opportunities, not threats” and “partners, not rivals” to achieve a win-win outcome.

“Both sides must uphold the principle of good-neighbourly friendship, strive for mutual benefit, and demonstrate the historical wisdom of two great ancient civilisations by properly handling sensitive issues and maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas.”

Wang added that Beijing and New Delhi should place greater focus on areas of cooperation and strengthen exchanges across various levels and fields.

Doval is in China for a gathering of senior national security officials from member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, a regional bloc that focuses on security.

According to a New Delhi statement issued on Monday after the Wang-Doval meeting, both sides underscored the need to promote the overall development of India-China relations, including by fostering greater people-to-people ties.