Chinese envoy to India Luo Zhaohui said today that Beijing and New Delhi needed to work on the “consensus” reached at the BRICS Summit in Xiamen to start a new chapter in bilateral ties.

He said the two neighbours have made tremendous progress in relationship in the areas of economy and trade as well as cultural ties, while laying stress on the fact that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping have met around 12 times so far.

“At BRICS, Prime Minister Modi and President Xi reached a consensus to work out a new chapter of bilateral relationship.

It sent a very important message,” he said, indirectly referring to the Doklam standoff as an instance where “negative sentiments” reigned.

The Chinese envoy was speaking at an event organised by the India—China Friendship Association on the 68th anniversary of founding of the People’s Republic of China here.

His comments come in the backdrop of the disengagement of Chinese and Indian troops in Doklam, where the army of the two nations were locked in a standoff for over two months.

The envoy’s wife, Counselor Jiang Yili, who did her PhD from Delhi University, staged a music and dance performance at the event along with cultural troupes from both the countries.

Calling India as his “second home”, Zhaohui stressed the need to ramp up cultural and people-to-people ties. He said he would revive the embassy’s engagement with the friendship association, which was very robust at one point.

“They (non—government forums) can do what two governments cannot. In the future days, the embassy can co—host functions with the association,” he said

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