Chinese Foreign Minister in India for talks

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met India's External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar at Hyderabad House here for delegation-level talks.

The Chinese Foreign Minister arrived in New Delhi on March 24. The key objective of Wang's visit is to restart physical engagement and also invite Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi for BRICS meet to be hosted by Beijing later this year.

Before meeting Jaishankar, the Chinese Foreign Minister visited National Security Advisor Ajit Doval's office in South Block.

Doval on March 25 told the visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that there has to be "early and complete disengagement" in border areas for Indo-China ties to move forward.

India and China, in a meeting of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, have ensured that the actions of both the countries do not violate the spirit of equal and mutual security, the government sources said. The two Asian neighbours also concurred to work in the same direction and resolve outstanding issues as quickly as possible, the sources added.

Before his India visit, the Chinese foreign minister attended the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation (OIC) meeting in Islamabad where he said, "On Kashmir, we have heard again today the calls of many of our Islamic friends. And China shares the same hope."

However, India had rejected his remarks on Kashmir and said that other countries, including China, have no locus standi to comment on its internal affairs.

This is the first visit of a senior Chinese leader to India in two years since the border stand-off between the two countries since May 2020.

Last month, EAM Jaishankar had said that 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".

After the Galwan Valley clash, both countries have held several rounds of border talks to resolve the standoff. India has called for complete disengagement in eastern Ladakh at all friction points.

On March 11, the 15th round of Corps Commander level talks were held between the two countries on the Indian side of the Chushul-Moldo border point in which both sides agreed to maintain the security and stability along the Line of Actual Control in the Western Sector.

(ANI)