China on Thursday said the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan, Russia on Wednesday carries a "great significance" as they reached an "important common understandings" to improve the bilateral ties.

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday said in New Delhi, a broad consensus has been achieved by India and China on restoring the "ground situation" along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) pursuant to talks, including for patrolling and grazing cattle in traditional areas.

According to PTI report from Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Lin Jian said in a media briefing there about the talks between the two leaders, "they reached important common understandings on improving and developing China-India relations and set the course to steer bilateral relations back on the path of steady development."

Replying to a question on how Beijing viewed the outcome of the meeting, Lin said, China stands ready to work with India to view and handle the bilateral relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective.

China is also ready to step up communication and cooperation, enhance strategic mutual trust, properly handle differences, and bring bilateral relations back to the path of steady development as soon as possible, Lin said.

Asked about a Chinese official media report stating that "Modi made suggestions on improving and developing the relationship, which Xi agreed to in principle", Lin said "both sides were of the view that this meeting is constructive and carries great significance".

"They agreed to view and handle China-India relations from a strategic height and long-term perspective, prevent specific disagreements from affecting the overall relationship, and contribute to maintaining regional and global peace and prosperity and to advancing multiplicity in the world," he said.

Modi and Xi, who met on the sidelines of the BRICS summit at Kazan, endorsed Monday's India-China agreement on patrolling and disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

While speaking at the Chanakya Defence Dialogue 2024 in New Delhi, Rajnath described the pact reached between the two countries as a "significant development" that underscores the importance of defence dialogue on the global stage.

"India and China have been involved in talks both at military and diplomatic levels to resolve differences in certain areas along the LAC. Pursuant to the talks, a broad consensus has been achieved to restore the ground situation based on the principle of equal and mutual security," Rajnath said.

"The consensus achieved includes patrolling and grazing (cattle) in traditional areas.

This is the power of engaging in continuous dialogue because sooner or later, solutions will emerge," the defence minister said.

Following nearly 50-minute talks between Modi and Jinping, directions were issued to revive various bilateral dialogue mechanisms, signalling attempts to normalise ties that were hit by a deadly military clash in 2020.

The two sides agreed to strengthen communication and cooperation, enhance strategic mutual trust by holding talks between their foreign ministers and officials at various levels to bring the relationship back to steady development at an early date, he added.

The two leaders also have agreed to "make good use of the Special Representatives mechanism on the China-India boundary question, ensure peace and tranquility in the border areas, find a fair and reasonable settlement, step up communication and cooperation in multilateral fora, and safeguard the common interests of developing countries," the spokesperson said.

The Special Representatives mechanism, currently headed by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, played a key role in the past to develop and improve the relations since it was set up in 2003 with 22 meetings to address the boundary question. The last meeting between Doval and Wang under the mechanism was held in 2019.

On the meeting between the two leaders, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, at a media briefing at Kazan, said both Modi and Xi stressed that India and China can have a "peaceful, stable and beneficial bilateral relationship" with maturity and wisdom, and by showing mutual respect for each other's sensitivities, interests, concerns and aspirations.

Referring to New Delhi's consistent position on the eastern Ladakh row, Misri said restoration of peace and tranquillity in the border areas will create space for returning towards the path of normalisation of bilateral relations between the two sides.

In the coming weeks and months, both the countries are expected to revive the ties with a flurry of high level visits to improve the relations on all fronts.

In a major breakthrough in ending the over four-year-long military standoff, India on Monday announced that it has reached an agreement with China on patrolling along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.