ISTANBUL

A border dispute between China and India dominated a bilateral meeting between their foreign ministers on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in India.

While China’s Foreign Minister Qin Gang told his Indian counterpart S. Jaishankar that the China-India border situation was “generally stable,” the latter emphasized “ensuring peace and tranquility in the border areas.”

The duo met late Thursday in the western coastal city of Goa where India is hosting top diplomats from the SCO for an annual summit. The summit ends Friday.

Both the Asian neighbors are engaged in a border dispute since a deadly clash between the two militaries in 2020 along the Line of Actual Control, a de facto border line between the two nations in the Ladakh area of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region.

At least 24 soldiers, 20 from the Indian side, were killed when the two militaries fought, without firearms, at the LAC in June 2020. The standoff, which began in May 2020, continues.

A readout released on Friday from Beijing quoted Qin as telling Jaishankar: “The two countries should draw experience and lessons from history, steer bilateral relations from a strategic and long-term perspective, respect, and learn from each other.”

The Chinese top diplomat called on the two sides to “contribute to each other's success, pursue a new path of living in harmony, peaceful development and common revitalization between neighboring major countries, so as to boost their respective national rejuvenation and inject stability and positive energy into world peace and development.”

“China is ready to work with India to carry out bilateral consultations and exchanges … deepen coordination and collaboration on international and regional issues, so as to bring China-India relations back on the track of sound and stable development,” he added.

Jaishankar said in a tweet he had a “detailed discussion” with Qin “on our bilateral relationship.”

“Focus remains on resolving outstanding issues and ensuring peace and tranquility in the border areas,” said the Indian top diplomat.

Qin and Jaishankar's meeting followed a similar meeting between Chinese and Indian defense chiefs last week in New Delhi where India hosted the SCO defense ministers’ summit.

Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh told his Chinese counterpart Li Shangfu that border tensions had “eroded the entire basis” of bilateral relations between the two Asian neighbors.

Li, however, had said the situation along the border was “stable,” urging New Delhi to take “a long-term view” of bilateral relations and “place the border issue in an appropriate position.”