- China and India are major developing economies and key members of the Global South, Beijing said
- Chinese Vice President Han Zheng emphasised advancing cooperation and respecting mutual concerns
- Achieving the "dragon-elephant tango" is the right choice for both sides, the Chinese leader said.
Expressing readiness to work with New Delhi to achieve "dragon-elephant tango"-- a dance between their emblematic animals-- Beijing on Monday said both China and India are major developing economies and important members of the Global South. Chinese Vice President Han Zheng said need to advance practical cooperation and respect mutual concerns to ensure the stable development of bilateral ties.
"Becoming partners that enable each other's success and achieving the "dragon-elephant tango" is the right choice for both sides. The two sides should further implement the important consensus reached by leaders of the two countries, steadily advance practical cooperation, respect each other's concerns, and promote the sustained, healthy, and stable development of China-India ties," Zheng said after meeting Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in Beijing on Monday, according to a report by Global Times.
The call for India-China relations to take the form of a "Dragon-Elephant tango" was earlier raised by Chinese President Xi Jinping, who in April said both neighbours should work more closely together.
What Did Jaishankar Say During His Beijing Visit?
Jaishankar is visiting China to attend a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in the Chinese city of Tianjin. China is the current chair of the SCO, and it is hosting the meetings of the grouping in that capacity.
S Jaishankar conveyed to Chinese leadership that continued normalisation of India-China ties can produce mutually beneficial outcomes, and an open exchange of views between the two sides is "very important" considering the "complex" global scenario.
"Our bilateral relationship, as you have pointed out, has been steadily improving since the meeting between Prime Minister (Narendra) Modi and President Xi Jinping in Kazan last October...I am confident that my discussions in this visit will maintain that positive trajectory," Jaishankar said in his televised opening remarks in the meeting.
Jaishankar held talks with Zheng shortly after landing in the Chinese capital from Singapore in the second and final leg of his two-nation trip. It is the Indian Minister's first visit to China after the ties between the two countries came under severe strain following the 2020 military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
The Foreign Minister also referred to the 75th anniversary of the establishment of India-China diplomatic relations.
"The resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra is also widely appreciated in India. Continued normalisation of our ties can produce mutually beneficial outcomes," he said.
"The international situation, as we meet today, is very complex. As neighbouring nations and major economies, an open exchange of views and perspectives between India and China is very important...I look forward to such discussions during this visit," Jaishankar added.
In a social media post, Jaishankar said he conveyed to Vice President Han India's support for China's SCO presidency.
"Noted the improvement in our bilateral ties. And expressed confidence that discussions during my visit will maintain that positive trajectory," he said.
India-China Relations
In the last few months, India and China have initiated a number of measures to repair the bilateral ties that had severely nosedived following the deadly clashes between the two militaries in June 2020.
Jaishankar's visit is taking place less than three weeks after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh travelled to the Chinese port city of Qingdao to participate in the SCO defence ministers' conference.
The military standoff in eastern Ladakh began in May 2020, and a deadly clash at the Galwan Valley in June that year resulted in a severe strain in ties between the two neighbours.
The face-off effectively ended following completion of the disengagement process from the last two friction points of Demchok and Depsang under an agreement finalised on October 21 last year.
The decision to revive various dialogue mechanisms was taken at a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan on October 23, 2024.
The Modi-Xi meeting came two days after India and China firmed up a disengagement pact for Depsang and Demchok.
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