India and China have taken a significant step towards enhancing their bilateral relations through a high-level meeting held in Shanghai. On Friday, India’s Consul General in Shanghai, Pratik Mathur, engaged in discussions with Shanghai Mayor Gong Zheng during the inauguration of the SCO Cooperation Centre for Metabolic Diseases.
This event, framed under the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), underscored a mutual commitment to fostering closer ties amid ongoing regional and global challenges.
The meeting occurred on the sidelines of the centre’s opening ceremony, as confirmed by a post from the Consulate General of India in Shanghai on X. Mayor Gong expressed notable satisfaction with the recent advancements in India-China relations. He particularly referenced the positive momentum generated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to China for the Tianjin SCO Summit in August last year.
A key highlight of Mayor Gong’s remarks was the resumption of direct air links between Shanghai and several Indian cities. This development has been widely welcomed, signalling practical progress in people-to-people contacts and economic exchanges. Such connectivity enhancements are seen as vital for rebuilding trust and facilitating trade post the strains of the COVID-19 pandemic and border tensions.
In response, Consul General Mathur extended thanks to the senior Chinese leadership on behalf of India. He conveyed New Delhi’s best wishes for deepening cooperation across various domains. Mathur emphasised that the strides in bilateral relations would yield positive dividends in multilateral arenas, including the SCO and BRICS forums.
The Indian diplomat also drew attention to India’s upcoming role in hosting the BRICS Leaders’ Summit later this year. He expressed optimism that intensified bilateral engagement would prove mutually beneficial, extending its impact across regional stability and global platforms. This forward-looking stance reflects India’s proactive diplomacy in balancing relations with China while advancing its strategic interests.
