India-China relations have embarked on a “correct path” of improvement, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said on Thursday, signalling continued efforts by both sides to stabilise ties after years of strain.

“India, China relations have embarked on a ‘correct path’ of improvement, and their shared interests far outweigh differences,” Wang said during a farewell call on outgoing Indian Ambassador Pradeep Rawat.

Referring to recent high-level engagement, he said, “Under the strategic guidance of the leaders of both countries, China-India relations have embarked on a correct path of improvement and development.”

Ties between the two countries had remained tense since the 2020 military standoff in eastern Ladakh, which pushed relations to their lowest point in decades. In recent months, both sides have stepped up diplomatic efforts to improve the situation.

Meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS summit in Kazan in 2024 and the SCO summit in Tianjin last year are seen as key developments in restarting dialogue.

“Facing a complex and turbulent international situation, China is willing to work with India to implement the important consensus reached by the leaders of both countries, uphold the principle of viewing each other as development opportunities rather than threats and treat each other as partners rather than competitors,” Wang said.

He added that “as two neighbouring countries and major emerging economies, India and China’s shared interests far outweigh their differences,” according to a statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry.

“Without the modernisation of China and India, there can be no modernisation of the world,” he said. Wang also said China is willing to expand cooperation with India and strengthen coordination in multilateral groupings such as BRICS.

India is set to host the BRICS summit later this year, and Xi is expected to attend. Wang expressed appreciation for Rawat’s “efforts and contributions to the development of China-India relations”.

Rawat, who retires later this month, will be succeeded by Vikram Doraiswami, currently India’s Ambassador to the United Kingdom.