India, China foreign ministers meet, first after border clash

INTERNATIONAL DESK: Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi met today for delegation-level talks in Delhi, in the highest level of engagement between the two countries since a deadly border clash in 2020 soured ties. Wang Yi arrived last night in an unannounced visit.

Wang Yi first met with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. They discussed the border row and the geopolitical implications of the Ukraine war, according to news agency PTI. This is the first high-profile Chinese visit to India since the border clashes in Ladakh.

In the meeting between Mr Doval and Wang, both sides spoke about the need for early and complete disengagement in disputed areas and remove impediments to allow bilateral relationship to take its natural course.

Mr Jaishankar will later brief the media on his talks with the Chinese Foreign Minister.

Wang Yi, who travelled to Pakistan and Afghanistan before arriving in Delhi, is set to fly to Nepal later today.

The Chinese Foreign Minister’s visit has been shrouded in secrecy, with no official word from either side. His arrival could be confirmed only through the tracking of his plane’s flight path after it took off from Afghanistan on Thursday.

The visit is aimed at restarting physical engagement after a prolonged standoff. The Chinese minister is also set to invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a BRICS meeting to be hosted by Beijing later this year, news agency Press Trust of India has reported.

Last month, Foreign Minister Jaishankar had said India’s relations with China are going through a “very difficult phase” after Beijing violated the border agreements and asserted that the “state of border will determine the state of the relationship”.

Just before Wang’s visit, India had reacted sharply to his “uncalled reference” to Kashmir at an event in Pakistan. The Chinese minister had made a reference to Kashmir in his opening speech at the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Pakistan, saying: “On Kashmir, we have heard again today the calls of many of our Islamic friends. And China shares the same hope.”

New Delhi asserted that “matters related to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are entirely the internal affairs of India” and that other countries, including China, had no locus standi to comment.

“They should note that India refrains from public judgement of their internal issues,” foreign ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi told reporters.

Ties between India and China deteriorated after the June 2020 clash in eastern Ladakh’s Galwan Valley, in which 20 Indian soldiers died for the country.

The two sides are expected to discuss an agreement to resolve the border tension after 14 rounds of military talks. (NDTV)