Sushma Swaraj in China: PM Modi’s call to Xi spurred positive momentum for dialogue, says Wang Yi

Reinforcing the positive momentum in our relationship! EAM @SushmaSwaraj warmly welcomed by Foreign Minister and State Councillor of China Wang Yi at the Diaoyutai State Guest House in Beijing ahead of their bilateral meeting. pic.twitter.com/wooyNLkpIH

— Raveesh Kumar (@MEAIndia) April 22, 2018

Wang said the bilateral ties have witnessed a good development and shown a positive momentum this year under the guidance of the leaders of the two nations. “On the eve of the closing of China’s National People’s Congress this year, President Xi Jinping received a very important phone call from Prime Minister Narendra Modi,” Wang said. He said the call spurred a positive momentum in the dialogue process between the two countries.

“Our two leaders had in-depth exchange of views and reached important consensus on furthering the China-India relationship. We must work very hard to implement the consensus between our two leaders. India’s membership to the SCO has expanded the orgainsation’s potential and its influence, as well as providing a new platform for the India-China cooperation and I believe that India will make a positive and energetic contribution to the organisation,” Wang said.

Their meeting is part of efforts by the two countries to step up the pace of high-level interactions to improve relations, official sources here 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.