Indian National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, currently on a two-day official visit to China, held a bilateral meeting on Tuesday with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng.

The discussions focused on promoting peace and stability along the border areas while aiming to further strengthen the bilateral partnership.

The high-level meeting came ahead of the 25th round of border talks scheduled between NSA Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.

Sharing details of the engagement in a post on X, the Embassy of India in China stated, "On 25 August, NSA and Special Representative on the India-China Boundary Question, Ajit Doval called on Han Zheng, Vice President of the People's Republic of China."

According to the Indian Embassy, prior to the 25th Round of the Special Representative talks on the India-China border, NSA Doval and Vice President Han discussed ways to strengthen peace and tranquillity in the border areas.

They also held discussions on further improving bilateral relations across economic, political, and multilateral fora, in accordance with the consensus reached between the leaders of both countries.

The scheduled meeting between NSA Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi comes shortly after their previous encounter in India on the sidelines of the BRICS National Security Advisers' meeting in New Delhi.

Following that engagement, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) described the talks as "constructive and forward-looking," marking another step in the ongoing effort to recalibrate relations between the two Asian giants.

MEA Spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal had noted at the time: "The two sides reviewed recent developments in bilateral relations and noted progress towards gradual normalisation. NSA underlined that stable, predictable and constructive bilateral relations contribute to building trust and better understanding between the two sides. The discussions were constructive and forward-looking."

NSA Doval's visit comes amid a broader thaw in ties between New Delhi and Beijing.

This follows subsequent meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of major international summits, including the SCO Summit in Tianjin, where both leaders welcomed the positive momentum and steady progress in bilateral relations since their meeting in Kazan in October 2024.

During their engagements, both leaders reaffirmed that the two countries are development partners rather than rivals, emphasizing that their differences should not turn into disputes.

Highlighting the strategic importance of the relationship, the Ministry of External Affairs noted in a statement following the leadership meeting: "A stable relationship and cooperation between India and China and their 2.8 billion peoples on the basis of mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity are necessary for the growth and development of the two countries, as well as for a multipolar world and a multi-polar Asia befitting the trends of the 21st century."

Source: ANI