The foreign ministers of India and China met in New Delhi on Monday in a renewed effort by the nuclear-armed Asian rivals to ease tensions after five years of border clashes that severely damaged their relations, according to the Associated Press. This is the second high-level meeting on the border issue since the 2020 clashes, which led to the worst deterioration in relations in decades. Indian Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar welcomed his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi for talks aimed at stabilizing relations that worsened after security forces clashed in the disputed Himalayan border region. The violence, the worst in decades, resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and 4 Chinese soldiers, leading to a freeze in high-level political engagement between the two countries. Since then, both sides have deployed tens of thousands of security forces in border areas.

Last year, India and China signed an agreement on border patrols and withdrew additional troops from some border areas. In his opening remarks on Monday, Jaishankar called for “de-escalation of border tensions to give positive momentum to bilateral relations.” He said, “After going through a difficult period in our relationship, our two countries now seek to move forward. This requires a frank and constructive approach from both sides.” Wang pointed to peace and calm along the border and noted that China allowed Indian pilgrims to visit some important sites in the Tibet Autonomous Region. The Chinese foreign minister is scheduled to meet Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday and hold talks with Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on the disputed border. The issue of troop reduction there is expected to be on the agenda.