India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday opened a new round of engagement with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, stressing the need to preserve and enhance stability in the global economy amid a fraught international environment. He framed India's approach around a fair, balanced, and multipolar world order, calling reformed multilateralism the need of the hour.

Following their talks in New Delhi, Jaishankar reiterated that combating terrorism in all its forms remains a major priority for India, noting that the country continues to face cross-border terrorism largely sponsored by Pakistan, a close ally of China.

The two ministers held comprehensive discussions spanning economic and trade ties, pilgrimages, people-to-people contacts, river data sharing, border trade, connectivity, and broader bilateral exchanges. Setting out guiding principles for the relationship, Jaishankar said India-China ties must be anchored in the three mutuals ' mutual respect, mutual sensitivity, and mutual interest ' emphasizing that differences must not become disputes, nor competition turn into conflict.

On security and the boundary situation, Jaishankar underlined that any positive momentum in bilateral ties depends on the two sides' ability to jointly maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas, and that it is essential for the de-escalation process to move forward.

Wang Yi is on a two-day official visit to India and is scheduled to hold the 24th round of the Special Representatives' dialogue on the boundary question with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval today, 19 August 2025. Media reports indicate their meeting is expected to cover the boundary situation, trade, and the possible resumption of flight services. Wang is also slated to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi later today.

Expressing confidence in the engagement, Jaishankar said the discussions would contribute to building a stable, cooperative, and forward-looking India-China relationship that serves both countries' interests while addressing their concerns.

The high-level outreach comes ahead of Prime Minister Modi's planned visit to China later this month to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Tianjin.

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