Wang Yi Seeks Normal India Ties In New Delhi Meeting

Beijing struck a conciliatory note during a meeting in New Delhi between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar on Friday.

India said that ties with China could not be normal, however, until tensions were resolved with regard to a border dispute in the Himalayan region of Ladakh.

The two nations have deployed thousands of troops on the high-altitude border since hand-to-hand skirmishes there brought fatalities on both in June 2020. Talks between senior military officers have made little progress.

In a statement, Wang said China and India should work together to promote peace and stability around the world.

"The two sides should ... put the differences on the boundary issue in an appropriate position in bilateral relations, and adhere to the correct development direction of bilateral relations," he said.

"China does not pursue the so-called ‘unipolar Asia’ and respects India's traditional role in the region. The whole world will pay attention when China and India work hand in hand."

In a news briefing after a three-hour meeting with Wang, Jaishankar said: "I was very honest in my discussions with the Chinese foreign minister, especially in conveying our national sentiments.

"The frictions and tensions that arise from China's deployments since April 2020 cannot be reconciled with a normal relationship between the two neighbours."

Jaishankar, a former ambassador to Beijing, said it was at China's request that India had not announced Wang's trip before his arrival in New Delhi late on Thursday.

The two ministers also discussed their nations' approaches to tackling Russia's interventions in Ukraine, Jaishankar said.

"Both of us agreed on the importance of an immediate ceasefire, as well as a return to diplomacy," he said.

Wang, who visited Pakistan and Afghanistan earlier in the week, was set to fly to the Himalayan nation of Nepal later on Friday during a whirlwind tour of South Asia. (Reuters)