Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday held their first formal talks in five years, a sign that their icy relations are thawing after a deadly military clash in 2020.
The two leaders met on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in the Russian city of Kazan.
The meeting came days after the two countries agreed to resolve a four-year military standoff on their disputed Himalayan border.
Mr Modi and Mr Xi shook hands against a backdrop featuring their national flags, and both stressed the importance of handling their disputes.
The Chinese leader said the two countries were at a crucial stage of development and “should carefully handle differences and disagreements and facilitate each other’s pursuit of development aspirations”.
“It’s important for both sides to shoulder our international responsibilities, set an example for boosting the strength and unity of the developing countries, and contribute to promoting multi-polarisation and democracy in international relations,” Mr Xi said.
Mr Modi said: “It is my belief that the importance of India-China relations is not just for the citizens of our two countries, but also very significant for peace, stability and progress for the entire world.
“We welcome the consensus reached on the issues that have arisen in the last four years. It should be our priority to ensure peace and stability along our border. Mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual sensitivity should be the basis of our bilateral relations.”
The meeting underscored the upturn in India-China relations following a consensus on a patrolling arrangement along the Line of Actual Control that had faced multiple hiccups over the last few years.
The clash in 2020 on the largely undemarcated frontier of Ladakh in the western Himalayas reportedly killed 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers.
Relations between Beijing and New Delhi were strained as a result, with both sides beefing up their military presence along their shared border.
Mr Modi and Mr Xi had not held formal talks since, although they were present at a number of multilateral events. Their last summit talks were held in October 2019 in Tamil Nadu.
India Today reported that Mr Modi showing a thumbs-up with Russian President Vladimir Putin and Mr Xi by his side was one of the lasting images from the gala concert hosted for BRICS leaders in Kazan. Even at the private dinner hosted by Mr Putin, he was seen seated between Mr Modi and Mr Xi.
It not only captured the camaraderie among the leaders but also indicated deepening diplomatic relations between the three countries at a time when the West has attempted to isolate Russia over its Ukraine offensive.
It also comes at a time when there has been friction between India and Canada and the United States over the harbouring of Khalistani sympathisers.
“Putin is the geopolitical glue between Xi Jinping and Modi for the two Asian giants to manage their strategic rivalry with pragmatism while avoiding big escalation,” tweeted geopolitical strategist Velina Tchakarova.
Apart from providing a conducive atmosphere for talks, the fact that the two countries chose Russia to hold the first bilateral meeting between PM Modi and Mr Xi in five years signals the trust Putin enjoys among both Asian leaders, reported India Today.
There are now hopes for the revival of the Russia-India-China format, which was formed in the 2000s to challenge the dominance of the United States.
