Rare earths, fertilisers top agenda as India, China try to repair ties

India and China have agreed to sustain momentum in their bilateral relations as the two countries mark 75 years of diplomatic ties, with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi assuring External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar that Beijing will address New Delhi's key concerns on rare earths, fertilisers and tunnel boring machines.

- TDG NETWORK

Wang Yi, who arrived in India on Monday for a two-day visit, first held talks with Jaishankar in New Delhi on Tuesday morning. The discussions covered economic and trade issues, pilgrimages, people-to-people exchanges, border trade, connectivity and river data sharing. The Indian side reiterated the need to avoid restrictive trade measures and roadblocks, while stressing that stable and constructive ties between the two Asian giants are essential not only for their own benefit but also for global stability.

According to sources, the Chinese minister assured that India's three concerns—supply of rare earths, fertilisers and tunnel boring machines—were being addressed. During his remarks, Jaishankar underlined that "differences must not become disputes, nor competition conflict," adding that relations must be based on "mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest."