Chinese Foreign Minister's India Visit: A Step Toward Normalizing Ties

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will visit India for the 24th round of Special Representatives talks, aiming to address the boundary dispute and normalize strained ties post-Galwan clashes. This follows high-level SCO engagements involving Indian officials. Efforts focus on resuming cultural exchanges, river water data cooperation, and direct flights. India remains concerned about China’s support for Pakistan and its role in regional instability. While challenges persist, renewed dialogue signals cautious progress in stabilizing the complex India-China relationship.

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to travel to India later this month for the 24th round of the India-China Special Representatives (SR) level talks. This significant diplomatic engagement follows the previous round held in Beijing last year. The SR mechanism was established in 2003 during then-Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee’s landmark visit to China. Its primary goal is to develop a political framework for resolving the longstanding boundary dispute between the two nations.

This will mark Wang Yi's second visit to India since the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes, with his last visit occurring in March 2022. The upcoming talks hold particular importance as both India and China aim to rebuild their strained relationship following a meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan. Efforts to restore ties include resuming cultural exchanges, such as the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, improving cooperation on river water data sharing, and reinstating direct air connectivity. Plans are also underway for collaborative exchanges involving media and think tanks.

The bilateral relationship between the two Asian powers has faced significant challenges since the violent clashes in Galwan in 2020. One of India’s pressing concerns is China’s consistent support for Pakistan, a nation accused of fostering cross-border terrorism. Pakistan’s destabilizing role in the region has been a sticking point, particularly as it has one of the highest numbers of individuals designated as international terrorists by the United Nations.

Amid these tensions, high-level diplomatic interactions have continued. Last month, Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh visited China to participate in meetings under the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). China, which holds the presidency of the SCO this year, will host the summit in late August. In mid-July, the SCO Foreign Ministers’ meeting is scheduled, with India’s External Affairs Minister Dr. S. Jaishankar expected to attend in China. This presents an opportunity for Dr. Jaishankar to engage with his Chinese counterpart, along with senior officials from Russia and Central Asian nations.

Interestingly, this SCO meeting will bring the foreign ministers of India and Pakistan under the same roof for the first time since the Pahalgam terror attack, which was orchestrated by Pakistan-trained militants, and the subsequent May conflict. However, reports indicate that no bilateral meeting is planned between the Indian and Pakistani foreign ministers, given Pakistan’s continued support for cross-border terrorism.

Wang Yi’s visit, coupled with ongoing diplomatic engagements, reflects a cautious attempt by India and China to stabilize relations. While significant hurdles remain, including the boundary dispute and geopolitical tensions, the resumption of dialogue at various levels signals a potential thaw in their complex and often fraught relationship.