Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is scheduled to visit India next week, where he will engage in crucial discussions with National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval. This visit occurs amidst signs of improving relations between the two nations after a period of strain. The talks are expected to focus on border issues, trade relations, and upcoming high-level meetings.
The primary focus of Wang Yi's visit will be to address the border disengagement process in Eastern Ladakh, where both countries have had a military standoff since 2020. Both sides aim to create a more stable environment ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's expected visit to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit. This will be the most senior Chinese visit to India in over a year and is seen as a critical step towards setting the stage for a possible Modi-Xi bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the SCO.
Recent developments indicate a thaw in India-China relations. India has resumed tourist visas for Chinese nationals after a five-year gap and both countries are reportedly in advanced negotiations to resume direct flights that were suspended since 2020. There has also been progress in easing Chinese restrictions on fertilizer exports to India. These steps indicate a mutual desire to normalize relations after the military standoff at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Prime Minister Modi is expected to attend the SCO Summit in China in late August. This would be his first visit to China in seven years, with his last visit being in 2018. The summit, scheduled for August 31 to September 1, could facilitate a significant bilateral meeting between Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
Several factors are contributing to the renewed engagement between India and China. One significant factor is the shift in India's relationship with the United States following President Trump's imposition of tariffs on Indian goods. Trump's trade actions have led India to seek strategic autonomy and strengthen ties with other BRICS nations. According to Henry Wang, president of the Center for China and Globalization, Trump's tariff war has made India realize the need to maintain strategic independence.
Despite the positive momentum, challenges remain in the India-China relationship. While the military standoff at the LAC may have ended, a political stalemate persists. China wants India to allow other aspects of the relationship to continue, while India insists on maintaining peace and tranquility in the border areas as a prerequisite for an amicable and fruitful relationship.
The upcoming talks between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and NSA Ajit Doval are crucial for addressing these outstanding issues and building a foundation for future cooperation. Discussions will likely cover the management of peace and tranquility in the border areas and explore a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary question. Both sides are expected to discuss refining management rules for the border areas and strengthening confidence-building measures. They may also discuss enhancing cross-border communication and cooperation, including the resumption of pilgrimages by Indian pilgrims to Xizang, cooperation on cross-border rivers, and trade at the Nathu La Pass.
