New Delhi: India and China remain in touch on strengthening cooperation under the BRICS mechanism, with Beijing supporting India’s continued chairmanship of the BRICS mechanism and the Indian government appreciating China’s support for events hosted by India under the mechanism. Chinese special envoy Zhai Jun, who attended the West Asia Conference last week, also met with Multilateral Environmental Agreement Secretary Malhotra in New Delhi and said that China and India, as major developing countries, have always maintained communication on major international and regional issues. China attaches great importance to India’s important role as the rotating chairman of BRICS and hopes that this BRICS consultation on West Asia issues can make a strong voice on the regional situation and play a constructive role in achieving regional peace and stability. According to Chinese reports, Malhotra said that India values the important role China plays in the BRICS mechanism. Malhotra said that India is willing to work with BRICS countries, including China, to jointly promote the early easing of regional tensions. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to travel to India to attend the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. Last year, when President Xi Jinping met with Prime Minister Modi in Tianjin, he expressed China’s support for India to serve as the BRICS chairmanship. Xi Jinping is expected to visit India later this year to attend the BRICS summit. This will be his first visit to India since the deadly Galwan military clashes in June 2020.
