BEIJING: China is discussing with India a visit by Chinese border forces tobuild trust on their disputed frontier, China’s defence ministry said onThursday, as the neighbours seek to reset ties following a summit betweentheir leaders.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreedin April to open a new chapter in ties, just months after a dispute over astretch of their high-altitude Himalayan border rekindled fears of war.

China wants to develop military ties with India to boost mutual trust andmanage differences, Chinese defence ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang told amonthly news briefing.

The two countries were in talks for a visit to India by a delegation ofChinese border forces, he added, without giving details.

Such exchanges can help “strengthen border management and control andfurther mutual trust between front-line forces”, Ren said.

Hundreds of troops from both sides were deployed in 2017 on the Doklamplateau, near the borders of India, its ally Bhutan, and China after Indiaobjected to Chinese construction of a road in the Himalayan area in theirmost serious standoff in years.

There is still deep mistrust between the neighbours over their festeringborder dispute, which triggered a brief war in 1962.