India and China on Friday agreed to maintain high-level contacts with a view to fully realise the development partnership. National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval who is in Shanghai held talks with the top official of China's ruling Communist Party Yang Jiechi, where they decided to maintain contacts in order to avoid any escalation.

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"The discussions covered a wide agenda spanning bilateral, regional and international issues of mutual interest. The two sides agreed to maintain the pace of high-level exchanges, with a view to fully realise the potential of closer development partnership between India and China," a release issued by Indian Embassy in Beijing said.

Yang, is the Director of Foreign Affairs Commission besides a Politburo member of the ruling Communist Party of China. Both Doval and Yang are also Special Representatives for India-China boundary talks representing their respective countries. Yang was the state councillor, a top diplomatic post in the Chinese hierarchy. He was replaced by Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Wang will hold the dual posts of state councillor and foreign minister in a major reshuffle.

This is the second meeting between Doval and Yang after the 73-day Dokalam standoff.Yang attended the 20th round of boundary talks between the two countries in Delhi last December during which both sides decided to reset ties with more interactions. The Special Representatives' are mandated to discuss all aspects of bilateral relations besides the border dispute, providing a general policy direction to ties.

External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj and Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman are due to be in Beijing on April 24 to attend different meetings of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) and interact with their counterparts on the sidelines. The eight-member SCO in which India is the latest entrant along with Pakistan is due to hold its summit in the Chinese city of Qingdao in June in which Prime Minister Narendra Modi is due to take part and hold talks with Chinese President Xi Jinping.

LAST MEETING IN DEC

  • This is the second meeting between Doval and Yang after the Dokalam standoff. Yang attended the 20th round of boundary talks between the two countries in Delhi last December