Wang Yi: China-India ties must move forward 'without backsliding'

China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi has said that Beijing and New Delhi should carry their relationship forward "without backsliding", describing bilateral ties as having moved past an earlier low point.

Speaking on the state of the relationship, Wang quoted Chinese President Xi Jinping in observing that, under the strategic guidance of the leaders of the two countries, China-India relations have gradually emerged from a low point. The ties, he said, have progressed from a "restart" to a "renewed height".

The remarks point to a steady, if cautious, improvement in a relationship that had been strained in recent years. Wang's formulation places the emphasis on sustaining the momentum already built rather than allowing the gains to slip.

His comments also underline the role the two leaderships have played in steering the relationship through its difficult phase, with the Chinese side framing the recovery as a direct outcome of that top-level direction.

The minister's message signals Beijing's stated preference for keeping the improvement on track, with the phrase "without backsliding" serving as a reminder that the progress achieved so far is not to be reversed.