China and India agreed on Wednesday to work on easing their long-running border dispute, as the two Asian giants resumed a formal high-level dialogue for the first time in five years.

China and India have agreed to work toward a solution to their long-running border dispute in the Himalayas after a military standoff there that began with a deadly clash in 2020.

The Ministry of External Affairs, in a statement, said the SRs “provided positive directions for cross-border cooperation and exchanges including resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, data sharing on trans-border rivers and border trade”.

If these consensuses can be transformed to concrete actions, they will bring about tremendous changes to the border region between China and India, turning it from a friction zone to a gateway for exchanges and cooperation.

China held rare high-level talks with India on Wednesday at which it stressed the need to “maintain the peace” and seek a “comprehensive solution” to their border disputes. The meeting between Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and India’s National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in Beijing comes amid easing tensions between the giant neighbours.

China and India took a further step towards easing their long-running border dispute on Wednesday, with senior officials holding formal talks for the first time in five years and committing to finding mutually acceptable solutions.