Beijing: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Monday that resolving friction along the India-China border and the ability to maintain peace are fundamental for mutual trust between the two nations.

He told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that the neighbours have made “good progress” over the last nine months in normalising relations, adding that it was key to avoid restrictive trade measures and roadblocks.

This is Jaishankar's first visit to China after the ties between the two neighbouring countries came under severe strain following the 2020 military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

The External Affairs Minister also said India and China's bilateral relationship requires both nations to take a far-sighted approach to their ties.

In a meeting with Wang, Jaishankar said that mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity should be the basis for handling India-China relations. “Stable and constructive Sino-India ties are not only to our benefit, but that of the world as well,” he added. India and China should now look at de-escalation of the situation along the LAC after making “good progress” in normalising the bilateral ties in the past nine months, Jaishankar said.

In his opening remarks at the meeting, Jaishankar said the relations between the two countries can continue to develop in a “positive trajectory” on the foundation that differences should not become disputes and competition should not become conflict.