In latest outreach since Doklam, China's defence minister to visit India this year

New Delhi/Beijing: In Beijing's latest outreach to New Delhi, Chinese Defence Minister Wei Fenghe has accepted an invitation to visit India and plans to do so by the end of this year, China said on Thursday.

Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi agreed in April to open a new chapter in ties, just months after the 73-day Doklam standoff near the tri-junction with Bhutan in the Himalayas rekindled fears of war.

Speaking at a regular monthly news briefing, Chinese Defence Ministry spokesman Ren Guoqiang said both countries were currently in communication about Wei's visit, but gave no other details.

Hundreds of troops from both sides were deployed in 2017 on the Doklam plateau, near the borders of India, Bhutan and China after India objected to Chinese construction of an illegal road in the Himalayan area in the most serious standoff in years.

Ren added that Major General Liu Xiaowu, deputy commander of China's western military region, had also visited India from July 2-6, for meetings with his counterparts.

During his trip, both countries reached broad consensus about improving front line risk management, the need to maintain peace and stability along the border and strengthening of exchanges between their two border forces, Ren said.