China and India urged to pursue mutually beneficial cooperation, says Foreign Minister Wang

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi emphasized the importance of mutual trust and 'win-win' cooperation between Beijing and New Delhi during talks with Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, as reported by state news agency Xinhua.

Wang stated that China and India should prioritize good-neighbourly relations, mutual respect, trust, peaceful coexistence, common development, and win-win cooperation.

The meeting between the two foreign ministers in Beijing aimed at improving ties following a 2020 border clash, with both countries being fierce competitors for strategic influence in South Asia.

The 3,500-kilometre border between the two nations has historically been a source of tension, leading to a military standoff in 2020. However, they reached an agreement in October to conduct patrols in disputed areas.

Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping's meeting in 2020 marked the first time they had met in five years, with a commitment to enhancing relations.

India is wary of China's growing presence in the Indian Ocean, viewing the region as falling under its sphere of influence. Additionally, the presence of the Dalai Lama, the Tibetan spiritual leader hosted by India since 1959, remains a point of contention.

The Dalai Lama, aged 90, asserts that only his India-based organization can determine his successor, while China maintains its right to decide the next spiritual leader of Tibet.