India and China will hold their first Strategic Dialogue in Beijing today. The two sides are expected to discuss all issues of mutual concern and interest including friction points.<br/><br/>External Affairs spokesman Vikas Swarup said the two countries will discuss all issues of mutual interest in bilateral, regional and international domain.<br/><br/>Foreign Secretary S Jaishankar and Executive Vice Foreign minister Zhang Yesui will co-chair the meeting. This dialogue mechanism was agreed to during Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi's visit to India in August last year. Saying that there are friction points in India-China ties, Mr Swarup said the dialogue will strive to take a holistic view of the relations between the two countries and see to what extent they can accommodate each other's concerns and interests. <br/><br/>India-China ties have witnessed strain following Beijing's rigid stand on issues crucial to India such as membership to the Nuclear Suppliers Group and designation of JeM chief and Pathankot attack mastermind Masood Azhar as global terrorist by the UN. Not only China scuttled India's membership bid at the meeting of NSG last year, it also opposed banning of Azhar by the UN, apparently at the behest of Pakistan.<br/><br/>Mr Jaishankar yesterday held talks with China's top diplomat Yang Jiechi ahead of the strategic dialogue. Mr Yang, besides being the State Councillor, is Beijing's Special Representative for border talks between India and China. Mr Jaishankar is expected to meet Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi also.<br/>