China urges India to stabilize ties with Beijing

Foreign ministers and members of the delegates attend the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Regional Forum in Jakarta, Indonesia, on July 14, 2023. [AP Photo]

The top diplomats from India and China have spoken to each other on the sidelines of the ASEAN meeting in Jakarta.

Wang Yi, China’s foreign minister, told his Indian counterpart, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, that the two countries need to stabilize their ties, according to a readout from the Chinese foreign ministry.

"The two sides should support each other and accomplish things together, rather than wear each other down or suspect each other," Wang told Jaishankar.

The two countries share a long border where the relationship between their two armies can be tense, but a number of border agreements have begun to improve the relationship.

In 2020, however, the armies clashed, killing 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers.

China’s foreign ministry said India has agreed to another round of talks about border issues.

India is now China’s second-largest trading partner.