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New Delhi: India and China remain in touch to strengthen cooperation under the BRICS mechanism, with Beijing supporting India’s ongoing chairmanship of the grouping and the Indian Government appreciating China’s support for activities organized by India under the mechanism. Chinese special envoy Zhai Jun, who was here last week for the West Asia meeting, also met External Affairs Ministry Secretary Neena Malhotra in New Delhi and said that as major developing countries, China and India have always maintained communication on major international and regional issues. “China values ​​the important role played by India as the rotating chair of BRICS and hopes that this BRICS consultation on West Asia will have a stronger voice on the regional situation and play a constructive role in achieving regional peace and stability,” Zhai said. According to a Chinese readout, Malhotra said India values ​​the important role played by China within the BRICS mechanism. It also quoted Malhotra as saying that India is keen to work with BRICS countries, including China, to jointly promote efforts to reduce regional tensions as soon as possible. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to visit India for the BRICS Foreign Ministers’ meeting. President Xi Jinping had offered China’s support for India’s BRICS chairmanship in a meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi in Tianjin last year. Xi Jinping is expected to visit India for the BRICS summit later this year. This will be his first visit to India after the deadly Galwan military clash in June 2020.