NSA Ajit Doval holds talks with China's top CPC official

National Security Advisor Ajit Doval today held talks with the top official of China's ruling Communist Party Yang Jiechi in Shanghai during which both sides agreed to maintain the pace of high-level exchanges after last year's Dokalam standoff.

"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," it said.

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.

The two officials met in Shanghai instead of Beijing as Yang, who is the Director of Foreign Affairs Commission besides a Politburo member of the ruling Communist Party of China, preferred to hold it there as he is on his way back from China's Hainan province after attending the Boao Forum for Asia, official sources said.

Both Doval and Yang are Special Representatives for India-China boundary talks representing their respective countries.

Till last month Yang was the state councillor of the CPC, 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 of top officials.

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.

India-China Special Representatives' meetings carry considerable significance as they are mandated to discuss all aspects of bilateral relations besides the border dispute, providing a general policy direction to ties.

After Yang's visit to New Delhi, Foreign Secretary Vijay Gokhale visited Beijing in February and held talks with top Chinese officials.

The SCO comprises of China, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Russia, Tajikistan, Uzbekistan, India and Pakistan.

Ahead of the summit, the organisation which focused on anti-terrorism cooperation is holding a host of ministerial and officials' meetings to work out a firm agenda for the summit to provide a new direction to the organisation.

SCO foreign and defence ministers' meetings are also scheduled for April 24, according to officials here.

Both sides attach lot of significance to these meetings to reset ties as they are taking place after Xi has commenced his second-five-year tenure last month with the prospect of continuing in power for life following the removal of two-term limit for president by Parliament, making him the most powerful Chinese leader in recent times.