China-India call for strengthening strategic partnership, insist on resuming stalled talks

Special Correspondent

Delhi, 23 June 2026

Chinese Foreign Minister and Politburo member of the Communist Party of China Wang Yi has called for the immediate resumption of long-stalled strategic dialogues between China and India. He said that the two countries need to further enhance communication and cooperation in various fields, including trade, economy, law enforcement and media.

Wang Yi made these remarks in a meeting with Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in New Delhi on Monday. He has gone to New Delhi to attend a meeting of national security advisers of BRICS countries. This information was given in a statement released on Tuesday morning by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. At the meeting, Wang Yi said that the two countries should respect each other and handle sensitive issues with caution. He also called for ensuring that the border dispute does not affect the overall relationship.

The Indian Ministry of External Affairs also highlighted the importance of the meeting. Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said that the discussions between Doval and Wang Yi were “constructive and forward-looking”, with the main focus on the predictability and stability of India-China relations. He said that the two sides reviewed the recent progress in bilateral relations and gradually noted the progress towards normalization of relations. Jaiswal added that the two officials also reviewed the overall situation in the area adjacent to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) during the meeting.

National Security Advisor Doval emphasized in the meeting that stable, predictable and constructive bilateral relations will help build trust between the two countries and create better understanding towards each other.

The meeting comes at a time when most of the nearly 50 government-level strategic dialogues between the two countries have been suspended for a long time. Earlier this month, Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong raised similar concerns in Bengaluru.

The statement issued by India also said that the two leaders agreed that relations are moving towards normalization. However, in reality, this process is still considered slow, as discussions are still underway on issues such as the resumption of direct flights.

According to a statement from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Wang Yi said at the meeting that China and India are the world’s two most populous countries and important economic powers. He said that under the guidance of the top leaders of the two countries, relations are gradually returning to the path of development after going through difficult times. In his words, China and India are not rivals, but partners, and the most important thing is the strategic consensus between the two countries. He called for advancing relations with a long-term perspective in the changing world situation, as well as enhancing cooperation on global issues.

Wang Yi also said that in recent times, communication between the two countries in various fields has resumed, and the situation in the border areas has been relatively calm and stable. He stressed the importance of taking more effective steps to improve relations, emphasizing this progress. In his opinion, the two countries can not only cooperate in each other’s development, but also play a joint role in the modernization of countries in the Global South.

Wang Yi also stressed the need to quickly launch strategic dialogues in trade, economy, law enforcement cooperation and media. He said that the foundation of mutual trust should be further strengthened by building positive perceptions between the people of the two countries. Regarding BRICS, he said that China, India and other developing countries should work together to make the international system more just and balanced.

The Chinese statement also quoted Ajit Doval. He said that India and China are not rivals, but partners, and a stable and constructive relationship serves the interests of both countries. He said that India attaches importance to relations with China from a strategic perspective and is willing to work to implement the consensus reached between the top leaders of the two countries. He advocated peaceful resolution of differences, even if they exist. According to the Chinese statement, Doval recalled India’s role as one of the first countries to recognize the new China, and also reiterated that there has been no change in India’s position on Taiwan.

Meanwhile, preparations are underway for Ajit Doval’s visit to Beijing for the next Special Representative-level meeting, which is seen by diplomatic circles as an important step in improving relations. It is believed that this visit may also provide some indication of whether Chinese President Xi Jinping will visit India for the BRICS summit in September.

Overall, while this meeting is believed to bring new momentum to the process of normalizing relations between the two countries, there remains uncertainty about how much this progress will accelerate as several important issues, including the border issue, remain unresolved.