China and India agreed on Wednesday to view and handle bilateral ties from a strategic and long-term perspective, and not allow their differences to affect the overall development of their relationship.
The consensus was reached when President Xi Jinping met with Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Kazan, Russia, on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS Summit.
The meeting came days after China and India reached an accord on border issues following close communication through diplomatic and military channels.
Both leaders spoke positively about the recent significant progress made through intensive communication on resolving issues along the border. Modi made suggestions for improving and developing bilateral relations, which Xi endorsed in principle.
The two sides agreed to leverage the role of the mechanism of special representatives' meeting on border issues to jointly maintain peace and tranquility in border areas and seek a fair and reasonable solution.
They concurred that dialogues between the foreign ministers and officials at all levels should be conducted to facilitate the early return of bilateral relations to a stable development track.
Both sides also agreed to enhance communication and cooperation in multilateral forums to safeguard the common interests of developing countries. They expressed their readiness to contribute to promoting regional and global peace and prosperity as well as to advancing global multipolarity.
The last official meeting between Xi and Modi took place in 2019, on the sidelines of the 11th BRICS Summit in Brasilia, Brazil. Last year, the two leaders had a brief chat when they attended the 15th BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa.
During Wednesday's meeting, which both sides called "constructive and significant", Xi emphasized that the essence of China-India relations is how two neighboring developing major countries, each with over 1.4 billion people, can get along.
Noting development is the biggest "common denominator" between China and India, Xi called on the two nations to strengthen communication and cooperation, properly manage their differences and disagreements, and facilitate each other's pursuit of development aspirations.
The two countries should continue to adhere to the important consensuses of "seeing each other as development opportunities, instead of threats" and "treating each other as partners, instead of competitors", Xi said.
Both sides should maintain correct strategic understanding and seek the bright path of peaceful coexistence and common development between neighboring major countries, he added.
Modi said that maintaining the stable development of relations is crucial for both India and China, because it concerns the future and well-being of 2.8 billion people, as well as regional and global peace and stability.
Amid the current complex international situation, cooperation between India and China is beneficial for promoting economic recovery and global multipolarity, he said, adding that New Delhi is willing to enhance strategic communication with Beijing, strengthen strategic mutual trust, and expand mutually beneficial cooperation.
Modi expressed India's support for China's role as the rotating chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization, and said his country is committed to strengthening communication and cooperation within multilateral frameworks such as BRICS.
