National Security Advisor Ajit Doval has met top Chinese diplomat Wang Yi and discussed bilateral ties on the sidelines of the Friends of BRICS meeting in South Africa on Monday, according to a statement issued by the Ministry of External Affairs.
During the meeting, NSA conveyed that the situation along the LAC in the Western Sector of the India-China boundary since 2020 has eroded strategic trust and the public and political basis of the relationship, the statement read.
“NSA emphasized the importance of continuing efforts to fully resolve the situation and restore peace and tranquility in the border areas, so as to remove impediments to normalcy in bilateral relations,” MEA said.
“The two sides agreed that the India-China bilateral relationship is not only for the two countries but also for the region and the world,” it added.
The meeting came days after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Wang, director of the Office of the Foreign Affairs Commission of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, in the Indonesian capital Jakarta, and discussed outstanding issues relating to peace and tranquillity in border areas.
India has been locked in a military standoff with China for more than three years, with Jaishankar describing it to be the most complex challenge in his long diplomatic career.
Wang stressed that China will never seek hegemony, and stands ready to work with developing countries, including India, to support multilateralism and the democratization of international relations, and promote the more just and equitable development of international order.
Earlier on Monday, Doval called for collective efforts to deal with challenges emanating from cybersecurity at the Friends of BRICS meeting. The NSA also held several bilaterals with his counterparts from and Friends of BRICS countries. South Africa is hosting the BRICS Summit next month. BRICS is a grouping of Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa.
(With inputs from agencies)
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Updated: 25 Jul 2023, 10:56 AM IST
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