New Delhi, Jan 14: India on Wednesday underlined the need to take “positive steps” to create the right environment for improving ties with China as Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri hosted Sun Haiyan, a senior leader of the Communist Party of China (CPC), focusing on initiatives to rebuild the relations.
Sun, the vice minister of the CPC’s international department, is currently on a visit to India to explore ways to improve relations between the two countries.
In the last few months, both sides have initiated a series of measures to reset their ties that came under severe strain following the deadly clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in Galwan Valley in June 2020.
The military stand-off effectively ended in October 2024.
In the meeting, Misri emphasised the importance of increasing understanding between the people of the two countries in order to rebuild ties and in this context, highlighted the need to “take positive steps to create the right environment for improved bilateral relations,” the external affairs ministry said in a readout.
The discussions between Misri and Sun covered the progress in stabilising and rebuilding bilateral ties, with the priority on business and people-centric engagements, and ways to take forward bilateral engagement in 2026, it said.
“Both sides reiterated their commitment to implementing the important directions provided by their leaders, and to advancing bilateral relations on the path of normalisation,” it said.
In a post on ‘X’, External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, “Both sides reviewed the positive momentum in bilateral relations and discussed ways to further advance ties by enhancing people-to-people exchanges and addressing concerns on sensitive issues.”
The Chinese side congratulated India on assuming the BRICS chairship and expressed strong support for a successful summit, the ministry said. (PTI)
