Sushma Swaraj meets Chinese counterpart Wang Yi to discuss bilateral ties

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj

On Sunday, External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj met her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. the duo discussed bilateral ties and ways to step up the pace of high-level interactions so as to improve the relationship. Swaraj arrived in China on Saturday on a four-day visit to take part in the foreign ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO).

This was their first meeting after Wang was elevated as state councillor last month which makes him the top diplomat of the country in the Chinese hierarchy. He also continues to be foreign minister. In her initial remarks, Swaraj congratulated Wang on ebing elevated as state councillor and the special representative for the India-China boundary talks.

Their meeting is part of efforts by the two countries to step up the pace of high-level interactions to improve relations, official sources in China told PTI before the meeting. Following the Dokalam standoff last year both countries increased dialogue to scale down tensions and improve relations with talks at various levels.

Swaraj and Wang are meeting in the immediate backdrop of the recent meeting between National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and top official of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC) Yang Jiechi in Shanghai.

Edited by mid-day online desk, with inputs from PTI

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