Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is likely to visit India this week for discussions with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, according to media reports. The meeting is expected to focus on long-standing border issues under the Special Representative mechanism. The reported visit comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s trip to Tianjin, China, later this month for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, his first visit to China since 2018.
PM Modi is expected to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping, Russian President Vladimir Putin, and other world leaders.
The gradual stabilisation of ties has been visible since PM Modi and Xi Jinping’s meeting on October 23, 2024, on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan. At that meeting, the two leaders welcomed an agreement for complete disengagement and resolution of issues stemming from the 2020 border standoff, which included the Galwan clash that left 20 Indian soldiers and several Chinese troops dead. Both sides had also agreed to restart patrols in the Depsang area of Eastern Ladakh.
India & China to resume direct flights?
As part of the recent easing of tensions, India and China are expected to resume direct flights as early as next month, Bloomberg reported. In June, both nations agreed to restart the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra for pilgrims, facilitate visas, and exchange data on transnational rivers.
Last month, the Indian Embassy in China confirmed that India will begin issuing tourist visas to Chinese citizens again.
Rajnath Singh and Jaishankar attend SCO ministerial meetings
Earlier in June, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar attended SCO ministerial meetings in Beijing. Jaishankar also met Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit, briefing him on recent developments and underlining the importance of continued leadership guidance in strengthening bilateral relations.
