Xi to Modi: Improving ties serves common interests

NEW DELHI: In his conversation with Prime Minister Narendra Modi, President Xi Jinping stressed that improving China-India relations serves common interests and it is conducive to peace and stability of the world and the region.

A Chinese readout said this Friday on the exchanges between the two leaders on the sidelines of the BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa) summit in Johannesburg.

The Chinese readout described the conversation between the two leaders on Wednesday as “candid and in-depth”

“On August 23, President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi had a candid and in-depth exchange of views on current China-India relations and other questions of shared interest,” it said.

“President Xi stressed that improving China-India relations serves common interests of the two countries and peoples, and is also conducive to peace, stability and development of the world and the region,” it said.

“The two sides should bear in mind the overall interests of their bilateral relations and handle properly the border issue so as to jointly safeguard peace and tranquillity in the border region,” the statement released by the Chinese embassy in New Delhi said.