Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi made a surprise visit to the Maldives, during which he held talks with President Mohamed Muizzu and discussed the state of bilateral relations, amid Male’s recent warming up to India.

Mr. Wang, who is also a member of the powerful Political Bureau of the Communist Party, met Mr. Muizzu during his stopover in Male on Friday while on his way back from a tour, official media reported.

This was the first major visit by a Chinese official to Maldives after Mr. Muizzu visited China in January last year, months after his election.

During Mr. Muizzu’s visit, the two countries elevated the bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and signed some key agreements.

In his meeting with Mr. Wang, Mr. Muizzu stressed the importance of fast-tracking key infrastructure projects outlined in the agreements and Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) between the two countries, Maldives media reported.

He emphasised the need to prioritise social housing and road development projects, which are among the most urgent requirements for the Maldivian people, and referred to China’s commitments in this regard.

Additionally, Mr. Muizzu highlighted his administration’s focus on economic diversification, particularly in agriculture and fisheries, and requested China’s support in advancing these crucial sectors.

Mr. Muizzu said he was glad to see Chinese people becoming the largest source of tourists for the Maldives in recent months.

Mr. Wang said that Muizzu’s successful state visit to China was a highlight in China-Maldives relations.

During the visit last year, Chinese President Xi Jinping and Mr. Muizzu agreed to upgrade bilateral ties to a comprehensive strategic cooperative partnership and jointly commit to building a China-Maldives community with a shared future, which has laid out broad prospects for bilateral relations, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Mr. Wang praised Mr. Muizzu’s development vision for the Maldives and reiterated China’s ongoing support for the country’s sustainable development. He also assured that the Chinese government would support the swift implementation of development projects in progress, Maldives news portal adhadhu.com reported.

During the initial months of his presidency, Mr. Muizzu sought to move closer to China but gradually recast his government policy, balancing relations with India after New Delhi replaced its air force personnel operating two helicopters and a Dornier maritime surveillance aircraft with civilians in Maldives, following his poll campaign demand.

The overall episode had significantly frayed the ties between India and Maldives. However, there was a thaw in the relations following Muizzu’s state visit to Delhi in October last year, during which he held talks with Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

India has also stepped up aid and financial assistance to Maldives following a severe foreign exchange crisis faced by Male.

Mr. Muizzu’s visit was followed by the Maldives Foreign Minister Dr Abdulla Khaleel’s visit to Delhi early this month, during which he held talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

During his talks, Dr Khaleel appreciated the timely emergency financial assistance extended by India to Maldives in times of need, reflecting India’s role as the “First Responder” of Maldives.

He also reaffirmed Muizzu’s and the Maldives government’s firm commitment to working closely with India in realising the Joint Vision for India-Maldives Comprehensive Economic and Maritime Security Partnership, according to a Ministry of External Affairs press release.

On Wednesday, Maldivian Defence Minister Mohammed Ghassan Maumoon visited New Delhi and held talks with his Indian counterpart Rajnath Singh.

Among other things, they discussed boosting the defence preparedness of the Indian Ocean archipelago. Singh also conveyed India’s readiness to enhance defence ties with Maldives.

During Ghassan’s visit, India donated USD 4 million worth of military equipment to the Maldives National Defence Force (MNDF).

Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

The top diplomats of China and Iran agreed on Saturday (December 28, 2024) that West Asia is “not a battleground for the big powers” and should not be an arena of geopolitical competition between countries outside the region.

Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi agreed that “the international community should respect the sovereignty, security, stability, unity and territorial integrity of Middle East countries,” according to a readout from Beijing’s Foreign Ministry.

Mr. Araghchi is on his first visit to China since being appointed Foreign Minister of Iran.

The two major trading partners reiterated calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, the proper implementation of the ceasefire in Lebanon, and the “integrated promotion of counter-terrorism, reconciliation and humanitarian processes in Syria”, according to the readout.

“The two sides agreed that the Middle East [West Asia] belongs to the people of the Middle East [West Asia], and is not a battleground for the big powers, and should not be a victim of geopolitical competition and conflicts between countries from outside the region,” the Ministry said.

China and Iran were both supporters of ousted Syrian president Bashar al-Assad. Syria’s new leader, Ahmed al-Sharaa, is an ardent opponent of Tehran.

Mr. Araghchi and Mr. Wang also discussed Iran’s nuclear programme, which governments including Britain and the United States say could be on its way to building weapons.

Tensions have soared over Tehran’s nuclear ambitions since then-President Donald Trump pulled the United States out of a landmark agreement that traded sanctions relief for limits on Iran’s nuclear program.

China is a signatory to that agreement, and Mr. Wang told Mr. Araghchi on Saturday (December 28, 2024) that Beijing “firmly supports the Iranian side in safeguarding its legitimate rights and interests”.

China is Iran’s largest trading partner and a top buyer of its sanctioned oil.

New Delhi:

India and China agreed on six points to resolve the border issue as National Security Advisor Ajit Doval met Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi. Both sides agreed on the need to maintain peace and a commitment to continue seeking a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable package solution to the boundary issue. The consensus points also include cross-border tourism including in areas like Tibet and cross-border river cooperation and Nathu La border trade and resumption of Mansarovar Yatra.

This was the first Special-Representative level meet since the flare-up of incidents at the border. 

The meeting follows the bilateral between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the BRICS summit held in Kazan last month. It was the first significant breakthough amid the chill that had set in following the clashes in Ladakh’s Galwan — the worst in decades.

Today’s meet was meant to oversee the management of peace at the border and explore a “fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary question”.

At the meet, the two sides agreed to continue to take measures to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas and promote the healthy and stable development of bilateral relations. 

During discussions both SRs also underlined the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas to promote overall development of the India-China bilateral relationship.

They reaffirmed their “commitment to continue seeking a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable package solution to the boundary issue in accordance with the political guidelines agreed upon by the special representatives of the two countries”.

Among other things the two sides also agreed to further refine the management and control rules in the border area, strengthen the building of confidence-building measures, and achieve sustainable peace and tranquility. 

The cross-border exchanges and cooperation will be strengthened and Indian pilgrims’ pilgrimage to Tibet, China, cross-border river cooperation and Nathu La border trade will be resumed, the two sides agreed. 

India and China have also agreed to hold a new round of special representatives’ meetings in India next year.

The disengagement, finalised in October, saw both India and China pull back troops from the two remaining friction points in Demchok and Depsang, after nearly four years of military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Following the disengagement, both India and China are keen to build on this momentum and re-establish trust. The special representatives’ talks, which are part of a long-established mechanism to address the border dispute, have been convened after a hiatus, with the last meeting held in 2019.

New Delhi:

After a gap of five years, India and China are set to resume their Special Representative (SR) dialogue on border issues — the latest sign of improved ties between New Delhi and Beijing following an agreement on patrolling the boundary. National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval will lead the Indian delegation for talks scheduled to be held in Beijing on December 18.

Confirming the development, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the discussion will focus on managing “peace and tranquillity in the border areas and explore a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary question.”

“Ajit Doval, National Security Advisor and India’s Special Representative (SR) on the India-China boundary question, will hold the 23rd meeting of the SRs in Beijing on December 18 with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs of China,” it said in a late-night statement.

The decision to revive the dialogue mechanism, which was suspended since 2020, was taken on the eve of a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan in October.

About Special Representative Dialogue

The special representative mechanism on the India-China boundary question was established in 2003 with the aim of exploring a political solution to the boundary issue. In 2012, New Delhi and Beijing also launched the working mechanism for consultation and coordination on border affairs.

The Wednesday meeting in Beijing will be the 23rd round of talks. The last round of SR dialogue was held in New Delhi in December 2019, and since then it has been suspended because of the eastern Ladakh border row.

India-China Ties

But the ties between India and China deteriorated sharply after the military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh that began in May 2020. It followed a deadly clash at the Galwan Valley in June in which 20 Indian soldiers were killed.

The face-off effectively ended following the completion of the disengagement process from the last two friction points of Demchok and Depsang under an agreement finalised on October 21 this year.

Two days after the pact was firmed up, Prime Minister Modi and President Xi held talks on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in the Russian city of Kazan.

In the nearly 50-minute meeting, the two sides agreed to revive several dialogue mechanisms including the Special Representatives dialogue on boundary question. Both leaders also agreed to encourage more engagement between officials “at all levels” to “promote the early return of relations between the two countries to the track of stable development”.

On his part, Prime Minister Modi underscored the importance of properly handling differences and not allowing them to disturb peace and tranquillity in border areas. He said mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual sensitivity should remain the basis of the relations. 

India has been maintaining that its ties with China cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas.

Following the completion of the disengagement process in Demchok and Depsang, Indian and Chinese militaries also resumed patrolling activities in the two areas after a gap of almost four-and-a-half years.

In a statement in Lok Sabha on December 3, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said India is committed to remaining engaged with China to find a fair and mutually acceptable settlement of the boundary issue but made it clear that its ties with Beijing will be contingent upon strictly respecting the sanctity of the LAC and adhering to the pacts on border management with no attempt to unilaterally alter the status quo.

The disengagement of troops has been achieved in “full” in eastern Ladakh through a step-by-step process, culminating in Depsang and Demchok, and India now expects the commencement of talks on remaining issues that it had placed on the agenda, he had said.

Since their first meeting more than a decade ago, both Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping have given importance to finding a solution for effective border management, and the meeting in December 2019 was the 22nd meeting in a series of discussions to find a solution to settle any differences along the more-than 4,000 km Line of Actual Control or LAC.

The LAC has no clear demarcations and both sides have their differences in understanding where the boundary lies in the harsh and arguably most difficult terrain, which spans the highest mountain ranges in the world – The Himalayas. The border, originally between India and Tibet is now considered the boundary between India and China after Tibet’s takeover by China in 1959.

Rio de Janeiro:

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Tuesday (local time) stated that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi reviewed the progress in recent disengagement efforts along the India-China border during a meeting on the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Brazil.

Mr Misri noted that this meeting was mandated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping during the BRICS Summit held last month.

At the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, India and China held their first bilateral talks in five years, marking a significant step towards mending strained relations between the two neighbours. These ties have been marred by a prolonged military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

The disengagement is seen as a concrete step towards restoring the pre-2020 status quo. The Galwan Valley clash in June 2020, which resulted in casualties on both sides, was the most severe conflict between the two nations in decades. Additionally, agreements have been reached in other sectors along the LAC.

During a press briefing, Vikram Misri said, “The meeting took place yesterday, and the two foreign ministers, as mandated by the two leaders during the meeting between the Prime Minister and President Xi Jinping in Kazan at the BRICS Summit last month, exchanged views. They reviewed progress in the recent disengagement in the India-China border areas and discussed the next steps in the bilateral relationship. The two sides are also discussing the possible scheduling of an early meeting between their special representatives.”

Earlier, EAM Jaishankar informed that India and China concluded the final phase of disengagement on October 21.

Additionally, Mr Misri highlighted key developments from the India-Australia annual meeting, which took place on the sidelines of the G20 Summit.

He emphasised the launch of the Renewable Energy Partnership, aimed at boosting two-way investment in the renewable energy sector.

“The Prime Minister met with Prime Minister Albanese of Australia for the 2nd India-Australia Annual Summit. This was the 11th meeting between the two leaders. The highlight of the meeting was the launch of the Renewable Energy Partnership between the two countries,” Mr Misri said.

The Renewable Energy Partnership aims to provide a framework for practical cooperation in priority areas such as solar PV, green hydrogen, and energy storage.

Australian Prime Minister Albanese expressed his enthusiasm for the partnership, stating, “I am delighted to welcome the launch of the India-Australia Renewable Energy Partnership. This is a significant milestone in our cooperation. Our new partnership will boost two-way investment in renewable energy.”

Mr Misri also noted that discussions touched upon the upcoming QUAD Summit, scheduled to be held in India in 2025.

“Naturally, there was a significant focus on cooperation under the QUAD format, as well as exploring the possibility of encouraging investments between the two countries in both directions,” Mr Misri said.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

Amid a thaw in India-China ties, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the G20 summit in Brazil’s Rio de Janeiro and the two leaders discussed the way forward in the bilateral relationship.

“On the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio, met CPC Politburo member and FM Wang Yi of China. We noted the progress in the recent disengagement in the India-China border areas. And exchanged views on the next steps in our bilateral ties. Also discussed the global situation,” Dr Jaishankar posted on X, sharing photos of the meeting.

Last month, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Russia on the sidelines of the BRICS summit, shortly after New Delhi and Beijing reached a crucial patrolling arrangement along the Line of Actual Control. This breakthrough ended years of frozen ties that had nosedived after the Galwan Valley clash in 2020.

On the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio, met CPC Politburo member and FM Wang Yi of China.

We noted the progress in the recent disengagement in the India-China border areas. And exchanged views on the next steps in our bilateral ties.

Also discussed the global situation. pic.twitter.com/fZDwHlkDQt

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) November 19, 2024

Ahead of the G20 summit, China said it was ready to deliver on important common understandings reached between Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi.

“Recently, President Xi Jinping met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the margins of the BRICS summit held in Kazan,” Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian told a media briefing while responding to a question on the likelihood of a meeting between the two leaders on the sidelines of the G20 summit.

“China stands ready to work with India to deliver on the important common understandings between the leaders of the two countries, step up communication and cooperation and enhance strategic mutual trust,” he said.

Wang Yi, right, the director of the Communist Party’s Central Foreign Affairs Commission Office shakes hands with White House national security adviser Jake Sullivan, left, at Yanqi lake in Beijing, Tuesday, August 27, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AP

China’s top diplomat Wang Yi on Wednesday (August 28, 2024) warned visiting U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan over supporting the Philippines in the disputed South China Sea, state media reported.

“The United States must not use bilateral treaties as an excuse to undermine China’s sovereignty and territorial integrity, nor should it support or condone the Philippines’s actions of infringement,” Mr. Wang told Mr. Sullivan, according to state broadcaster CCTV.

Mr. Sullivan landed in the Chinese capital on Tuesday (August 27, 2024) for a three-day trip, saying on arrival he looked forward to “a very productive round of conversations” with Foreign Minister Mr. Wang.

Washington’s allies Japan and the Philippines have blamed China in the past week for raising regional tensions, with Tokyo accusing Beijing of violating its airspace and Manila calling it the “biggest disrupter” of peace in Southeast Asia.

According to CCTV, Mr. Wang told Mr. Sullivan that “China is firmly committed to safeguarding its territorial sovereignty and maritime rights over the South China Sea islands”.

Meanwhile, the U.S. military is open to consultations about escorting Philippine ships in the disputed South China Sea, the head of U.S. Indo-Pacific Command said on Tuesday (August 27, 2024) amid a spike in hostilities between Beijing and Manila in the disputed waters.

Adm. Samuel Paparo’s remarks, which he made in response to a question during a news conference in Manila with Philippine Armed Forces Chief Gen. Romeo Brawner Jr., provided a glimpse of the mindset of one of the highest American military commanders outside the U.S. mainland on a prospective operation that would risk putting U.S. Navy ships in direct collisions with those of China.

Mr. Paparo and Mr. Brawner spoke to reporters after an international military conference in Manila organised by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, at which China’s increasingly assertive actions in the South China Sea were spotlighted. Military and defence officials and diplomats from the U.S. and allied countries attended but there were no Chinese representatives.

Tensions between Manila and Beijing over disputed reefs and waters in the South China Sea have escalated in recent days.

Beijing said on Monday (August 26, 2024) it had taken “control measures” against two Philippine Coast Guard ships that “illegally” entered the waters near the shoal.

Manila said the Chinese vessels had prevented Philippine ships from resupplying their own coast guard vessels in the area, blasting the move as “aggressive” and calling Beijing the “biggest disrupter” of peace in Southeast Asia.

Mr. Sullivan and Mr. Wang have met five times over the past year-and-a-half – in Washington, Vienna, Malta and Bangkok, as well as alongside U.S. President Joe Biden and Chinese leader Xi Jinping at a November 2023 summit in California.

‘Certainly be unified’

Mr. Wang also stressed that Taiwan belonged to Beijing and that China will “certainly be unified”.

He told Sullivan that the U.S. should “put into practice its commitment not to support Taiwan independence”, according to CCTV.

The U.S. should “abide by the one-China principle and the three joint communiques of China and the United States, stop arming Taiwan, and support China’s peaceful reunification”, Mr. Wang said.

China has kept up its sabre-rattling since the inauguration this year of President Lai Ching-te, whose party emphasises Taiwan’s separate identity.

Mr. Wang and Mr. Sullivan also discussed issues including Ukraine, the Middle East and the Korean Peninsula, CCTV said.

“China has always been committed to advocating for peace and promoting dialogue and working towards a political solution to the Ukraine crisis,” he said.

“The U.S. should not shift responsibility onto China, nor should it impose illegal unilateral sanctions.”

Mahmoud al-Aloul, Vice Chairman of the Central Committee of Palestinian organisation and political party Fatah, China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and Mussa Abu Marzuk, a senior member of the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, attend an event at the Diaoyutai State Guesthouse in Beijing on July 23, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP

China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi on July 23 hailed an agreement by 14 Palestinian factions to set up an “interim national reconciliation government” to govern Gaza after the war.

Palestinian factions, including Hamas and Fatah, met in Beijing this week in a renewed bid for reconciliation.

As the meeting wrapped up on July 23, China’s top diplomat said the groups had committed to “reconciliation”. “The most prominent highlight is the agreement to form an interim national reconciliation government around the governance of post-war Gaza,” Mr. Wang said, following the signing of the “Beijing declaration” by the factions in the Chinese capital.

“Reconciliation is an internal matter for the Palestinian factions, but at the same time, it cannot be achieved without the support of the international community,” Wang said.

China, he added, was keen to “play a constructive role in safeguarding peace and stability in the Middle East.”

Hamas and Fatah have been bitter rivals since Hamas fighters ejected Fatah from the Gaza Strip after deadly clashes that followed Hamas’s resounding victory in a 2006 election.

The Islamist Hamas movement has ruled Gaza since seizing control of it in 2007.

The secularist Fatah movement controls the Palestinian Authority, which has partial administrative control in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.

isk-oho/je/mtp

Astana:

India and China on Thursday agreed to step up efforts to resolve the remaining issues in eastern Ladakh at the earliest even as External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar conveyed to his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi at a meeting that the Line of Actual Control (LAC) must be respected and ensuring peace along the border is essential.

In talks he held with Wang on the sidelines of the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in this Kazakh capital city, Jaishankar reaffirmed India’s persistent view that the relations between the two sides must be based on mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity.

The external affairs minister highlighted the need to redouble efforts to achieve “complete disengagement” from the remaining areas in eastern Ladakh and restore peace and tranquillity to remove obstacles towards the return of normalcy in the ties.

In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said the two ministers “had an in-depth exchange of views on finding an early resolution of the remaining issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh to stabilise and rebuild bilateral relations.” 

Jaishankar also underlined the need for fully abiding by the relevant bilateral pacts and protocols reached between the two sides in the past for management of the border.

“Met with CPC Politburo member and FM Wang Yi in Astana this morning. Discussed early resolution of remaining issues in border areas. Agreed to redouble efforts through diplomatic and military channels to that end,” Jaishankar said on ‘X’.

“Respecting the LAC and ensuring peace and tranquility in the border areas is essential. The three mutuals – mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest – will guide our bilateral ties,” he said.

Met with CPC Politburo member and FM Wang Yi in Astana this morning.

Discussed early resolution of remaining issues in border areas. Agreed to redouble efforts through diplomatic and military channels to that end.

Respecting the LAC and ensuring peace and tranquility in the… pic.twitter.com/kR3pSFViGX

— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 4, 2024

India has been maintaining that its ties with China cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas.

“Both Ministers agreed to continue and step up meetings of the diplomatic and military officials of the two sides to take forward their discussions to resolve the remaining issues at the earliest,” the MEA said.

“To that end, they agreed that the Working Mechanism on Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) should hold an early meeting,” it said.

It said the two ministers agreed that the “prolongation” of the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side.

“The external affairs minister highlighted the need to redouble efforts to achieve complete disengagement from the remaining areas in eastern Ladakh and restore border peace and tranquillity in order to remove obstacles towards return of normalcy in bilateral relations,” the MEA said.

“He reaffirmed the importance of fully abiding by relevant bilateral agreements, protocols, and understandings reached between the two Governments in the past. The Line of Actual Control must be respected and peace and tranquillity in the border areas always enforced,” it said.

The Jaishankar-Wang talks came amid the dragging border row in eastern Ladakh that entered its fifth year in May.

“The two Ministers also exchanged views on the global situation. The external affairs minister extended to FM Wang Yi India’s support for China’s Presidency of SCO next year,” the MEA said.

According to rough translation of a statement issued in Beijing, Wang said the two sides should view bilateral relations from a strategic height, strengthen communication, properly handle differences, and ensure that China-India relations develop along a healthy and stable track.

“We are willing to follow the series of important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, respect each other, understand each other, trust each other…and explore the correct way for the two major neighbours to get along,” he said.

“We must adhere to positive thinking, on the one hand properly handle and control the situation in the border area, on the other hand actively resume normal exchanges, promote each other and meet each other halfway,” he added.

Stressing that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence, Wang said both sides have the responsibility and obligation to inherit and carry forward the spirit of the Five Principles of Peaceful Coexistence and inject new contemporary connotations into them.

“Both China and India are countries in the Global South, and we should work together to oppose unilateral bullying, resist the division of camps, uphold the common interests of developing countries, and make due contributions to regional and world peace and stability,” he added.

The Indian and Chinese militaries have been locked in a standoff since May 2020 and a full resolution of the border row has not yet been achieved though the two sides have disengaged from a number of friction points.

The ties between the two countries nosedived significantly following the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.

India has been maintaining that its ties with China cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas.

The two sides have so far held 21 rounds of Corps Commander-level talks to resolve the standoff.

India has been pressing the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to disengage from the Depsang and Demchok areas.

The two sides held the last round of high-level military talks in February.

Though there was no indication of a breakthrough at the 21st round of talks, both sides agreed to maintain “peace and tranquility” on the ground and continue the communication on the way ahead.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

U.S Secretary of State Antony Blinken shakes hands with China’s President Xi Jinping at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing on April 26, 2024.
| Photo Credit: AFP

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Friday met U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Beijing and said China and the U.S. should be partners rather than rivals and should help each other succeed rather than hurt each other.

“This year marks the 45th anniversary of diplomatic relations between China and the United States. Over the past 45 years, the relationship has gone through wind and rain, and the two sides can draw a few important lessons: China and the United States should be partners rather than rivals; help each other succeed rather than hurt each other; seek common ground and reserve differences rather than engage in vicious competition; and honour words with actions rather than say one thing but do another,” President Xi Jinping was quoted saying by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of China.

Mr. Xi said China is happy to see a prosperous and thriving U.S. and he hopes that the U.S. can also look at China’s development in a positive light. “I’ve said many times before that the planet is big enough to accommodate the common development and respective prosperity of China and the U.S. China is happy to see a confident, open, prosperous and thriving U.S. We hope the U.S. can also look at China’s development in a positive light. This is a fundamental issue that must be addressed,” President Xi said.

He said China is willing to cooperate, but cooperation should be a two-way street and China is not afraid of competition, but competition should be about progress together instead of playing a zero-sum game. “China is committed to non-alliance, and the U.S. should not create small blocs. While each side can have its friends and partners, it should not target, oppose or harm the other.”

Mr. Xi said the Chinese saying “no progress means regress” applies to China-U.S. relations too. He said the stabilising trend in the China-U.S. relations did not come by easily and it is hoped that the two teams will continue working actively to follow through on the San Francisco vision he and President Joe Biden reached, so as to truly stabilise, improve and move forward the bilateral relations.

(The correspondent is in China at the invitation of the China Public Diplomacy Association.)