NEW DELHI: The Chinese foreign ministry has expressed Beijing’s readiness to work with India to implement key agreements between their leaders and restore bilateral ties to a stable footing. This statement comes ahead of a pivotal meeting between India’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian emphasized the importance of mutual respect and trust, urging both nations to address core concerns, enhance dialogue, and resolve differences with sincerity and goodwill. “China is ready to work with India to implement the important common understandings between the leaders of China and India, respect each other’s core interests and major concerns, strengthen mutual trust through dialogue and communication, properly settle differences with sincerity and good faith, and bring bilateral relations back to the track of stable and healthy development as soon as possible,” Lin said.

The 23rd meeting of the Special Representatives will be held in Beijing on Wednesday, marking the first high-level dialogue of this kind since December 2019. Discussions are expected to center on the China-India border dispute, with a focus on maintaining peace and exploring a mutually acceptable resolution to the boundary issue.

“The two Special Representatives will discuss the management of peace and tranquility in the border areas and explore a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary question,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) stated.

External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar recently informed Parliament that disengagement between Indian and Chinese troops in Eastern Ladakh has been successfully achieved through a step-by-step process in areas like Depsang and Demchok.

In October, India and China reached an agreement on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which had been a source of contention since the border standoff began in 2020. The standoff, sparked by Chinese military actions in Eastern Ladakh, caused prolonged tensions and significantly strained relations between the two countries.

The upcoming talks represent an important step toward rebuilding trust and addressing the unresolved border issues.