China and India are working together to leave behind the Doklam episode and “take forward” their relationship, the Chinese consul general said in Kolkata, PTI reported.

“India and China are working together. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping had a meeting on September 5 to discuss how to enhance the relationship,” Chinese consul general Ma Zhanwu said. “As long as the two countries work together, we will able to enhance and develop exchanges and cooperation.” He added that there is “huge potential for exchanges and cooperation between China and Eastern India”. Ma said that China is working with the Bengal government to “invite Chinese officials and business delegations to attend the Bengal Global Business Summit in January next year”, The Indian Express reported.

Prime Minister Modi had met President Xi on the sidelines of the 9th Brics Summit on September 5. The two leaders agreed that both countries should make more effort to strengthen cooperation and ensure Doklam-like incidents do not repeat

Chinese and Indian troops were engaged in a prolonged standoff in the Doklam area of Sikkim from June 16. India had announced the disengagement of its troops on August 29.

Ma Zhanwu’s statement comes days after Chinese ambassador to India Luo Zhaohui, in a signed piece in The Hindu on Friday, wrote about how the focus of both countries must be on cooperation, and managing differences. “President Xi emphasised that we should be each other’s development opportunities rather than be threats to each other – dragon and elephant should dance together”, he wrote.