Kumar Bahukhandi
In his opening remarks at the bilateral meeting with visiting Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi here on Monday evening, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar clearly told him that “the basis for any positive momentum in our ties is the ability to jointly maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas and that it is essential that the de-escalation process move forward” between the two militaries in the Ladakh sector.
Pressing for a “candid and constructive approach” in bilateral ties. the EAM pointed out that the two nations “must be guided by the three mutuals — mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest”.
New Delhi: In his opening remarks at the bilateral meeting with visiting Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi here on Monday evening, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar clearly told him that “the basis for any positive momentum in our ties is the ability to jointly maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas and that it is essential that the de-escalation process move forward” between the two militaries in the Ladakh sector.
It may be noted that China is the biggest global importer of Russian oil, followed closely by India, but the US has announced imposition of a 25 per cent penalty on Indian imports of Russian oil without levying any such tariff on China. Mr Wang’s visit is being seen as a further thaw in Sino-Indian ties amid the increased economic pressure from the United States in the form of punitive tariffs.
Addressing Mr Wang, the EAM said: “I welcome you and your delegation to India at the start of your visit for the 24th round of talks between the Special Representatives of India and China. This is also the first visit by a Chinese minister since our leaders met in Kazan in October 2024. This occasion provides us an opportunity to meet and review our bilateral ties. It is also an appropriate time to exchange views on the global situation and some issues of mutual interest. Excellency, when the world’s two largest nations meet, it is natural that the international situation will be discussed. We seek a fair, balanced and multi-polar world order, including a multi-polar Asia. Reformed multilateralism is also the call of the day… I look forward to our exchange of views.” He added: “You are visiting India, Excellency, shortly before the SCO summit that China is hosting in Tianjin. We have worked closely with the Chinese side during its presidency. We wish you a successful summit with strong outcomes and decisions.”
Mr Wang, who landed on Monday August 18, 2025 evening, will on Tuesday hold the 24th round of the Special Representative (SR) talks on the boundary issue between the two nations along with national security adviser Ajit Doval. Mr Wang is also a member of the politburo of the Communist Party of China and also China’s special representative on the boundary question with India.
The visit is taking place take ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s two-day visit to China starting August 31 for the SCO summit in the port city of Tianjin. Sensing a golden opportunity to strengthen ties with India after imposition of 50 per cent tariffs on New Delhi by the Trump Administration, China had recently made comments seen as welcoming of the forthcoming visit of PM Modi to Tianjin. On Tuesday evening, Mr Wang will also call on Prime Minister Modi in a sign of the rapidly-improving bilateral ties.
Mr Modi’s China visit will be his first since the deadly Galwan Valley clash between Indian and Chinese troops in Ladakh in mid-June 2020. Mr Modi had last visited China twice in 2018, first for the informal summit with President Xi in Wuhan, and then for the SCO summit in Qingdao two months later in June that year. President Xi too had visited India last in 2019 for the informal summit with Mr Modi near Chennai in October. Mr Modi is almost certainly expected to hold a bilateral meeting with President Xi, which will be his second one in the past one year. Both leaders held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the Brics summit in Russia’s Kazan in October 2024.
