India and China should build on progress in the normalisation of the bilateral ties to address border-related issues including de-escalation and it is also essential to avoid “restrictive” trade measures, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Monday during talks with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi.In his opening remarks at the meeting, Jaishankar said the relations between the two countries can continue to develop in a “positive trajectory” on the foundation that differences should not become disputes and nor should competition ever become a conflict.
The external affairs minister also underlined the need for “mutual trust” to take forward India-China ties, comments that came against the backdrop of Beijing’s continuous support to Pakistan, including in the military domain.
The talks took place hours after Jaishankar landed in China on a two-day visit to attend a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). It is his first visit to the neighbouring country since bilateral ties witnessed severe downturn following the Galwan Valley clashes in June 2020.
On Tuesday’s SCO foreign ministerial meeting, Jaishankar said its primary mandate is to combat terrorism, separatism and extremism and that “this is a shared concern and India hopes that zero tolerance for terrorism will be strongly upheld.”
In his remarks, Jaishankar also underlined the need for avoiding “restrictive” trade measures and “roadblocks”, in an apparent reference to Beijing’s approach on the export of critical minerals as well as issues relating to the supply of fertilisers.
