China flags handling differences, maintaining stable ties in talks with Foreign Secretary Misri

Beijing: China said it stressed on properly handling differences, and promotion of India-China relations on a stable track in the just concluded talks with Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri while highlighting decisions to resume Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and direct flights.

Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri who arrived here on Sunday for a two-day visit held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Sun Weidong on Monday to stabilise and rebuild relations stalled for over four years due to the military standoff at Eastern Ladakh.

Misri was the former Ambassador to Beijing, while Sun was the former envoy to Delhi.

The External Affairs Ministry issued a press release on Monday stating that the two sides reviewed the state of India-China bilateral relations comprehensively and agreed to take certain people-centric steps to “stabilise and rebuild ties”.

In its readout in Mandarin issued on early Tuesday, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said the dialogue focussed on promoting the implementation of the important consensus reached by the leaders of China and India in the Kazan meeting on the sidelines of the BRICS summit last year and discussed measures to improve and develop China-India relations.

It highlighted the consensus reached between the two sides during the talks which included the resumption of direct flights, the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra for Indian pilgrims and a meeting of the India-China Expert Level Mechanism to discuss the resumption of the provision of sharing hydrological data pertaining to trans-border rivers.

In the talks, China emphasised that the two sides should proceed from the fundamental interests of China, India and adhere to the strategic height and long-term perspective of China-India relations, the readout said.

Both sides should actively promote dialogue, exchanges and practical cooperation with a frank and constructive attitude, positively guide public opinion, increase trust and resolve misgivings, properly handle differences, and promote the development of ties on a healthy and stable track, it said. The two sides held a frank and in-depth exchange of views on issues of mutual concern, it said.

Highlighting the issues of consensus reached between the two sides, it said India has expressed its willingness to fully support China's work as the rotating presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) this year and will actively participate in various activities hosted by Beijing under the framework of the organisation.

Also, the two sides agreed to use bilateral and multilateral occasions to carry out active interactions at all levels, strengthen strategic communication, and enhance political mutual trust, it said.

Both sides agreed to jointly commemorate this year the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and India and carry out media and think tank exchanges, track two dialogue and other cultural exchanges.

They also agreed to resume direct flights between the two countries and take measures to facilitate personnel exchanges and the exchange of journalists between the two countries.

The facilitation of media exchanges raised expectations of the resumption of journalists from both countries to reopen their bureaus after a two-year disruption.

Currently, China permits only the PTI bureau to function from Beijing.

Also, the two sides agreed to promote the resumption of Indian pilgrims' pilgrimage to Kailash Manasarovar Yatra in China’s Tibet Autonomous Region this year relevant arrangements will be negotiated as soon as possible, the readout said.

The two sides also agreed to continue cross-border river cooperation and maintain communication by holding a new round of expert mechanism meetings as soon as possible.

India and China established the Expert Level Mechanism (ELM) in 2006 to discuss various issues related to trans-border rivers under which China provides India with hydrological information on the Brahmaputra river and Sutlej river during the flood seasons.

India has expressed concern over China’s decision to build the world's largest hydropower dam over Brahmaputra also locally known as Yarlung Zangbo in Tibet.

During his visit, Misri called on Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Liu Jianchao, Minister of the influential International Department of the ruling Communist Party of China.