China ready to enhance mutual trust with India at border talks: Chinese foreign ministry

Beijing: China is ready to work with India to enhance mutual trust through dialogue and communication, and manage differences with sincerity and integrity, the foreign ministry said on Tuesday.

Lin Jian, a ministry spokesperson, made the remarks when asked about the upcoming talks between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval this week on border issues.

Wang and Doval are set to meet in Beijing on Wednesday in a resumption of talks under their "special representatives dialogue" mechanism since deadly border clashes soured ties four years ago.

"China stands ready to work with India to implement the important consensus reached by the two countries' leaders, respect each other's core interests and major concerns... and bring bilateral relations back to a stable and healthy development track at an early date," Lin said at the ministry's regular press briefing.

Chinese President Xi Jinping met Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Russia in October just days after the two countries reached a deal on patrolling their disputed frontier to end a four-year military stand-off.

Both leaders agreed to boost communications and resolve conflicts and differences, directing their officials to take further steps to stabilise all aspects of bilateral ties.

Relations between the nuclear-armed neighbours have been strained in recent years, after at least 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese troops were killed in hand-to-hand combat in the Galwan Valley in 2020.

Ties had remained frozen since, with their trust eroded by repeated border stand-offs.

Wang last met Doval in September in St Petersburg, Russia, with the two agreeing to redouble efforts to ensure complete disengagement on the contested frontier.