Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will start a two-day visit to India on Monday as part of efforts by both nations to repair ties strained after the 2020 Galwan Valley clashes. During his trip, he will meet External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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Packed Schedule: Border Talks, Trade, and Confidence-Building on Agenda
Wang Yi will land in New Delhi at 4:15 pm on Monday and hold bilateral talks with Jaishankar at 6:00 pm. On Tuesday morning, he will sit down with NSA Doval for a new round of the Special Representatives (SR) dialogue on the boundary question. Later in the evening, at 5:30 pm, he will call on PM Modi at his official residence.
Both sides will focus on confidence-building measures along the disputed border, trade, and the resumption of flight services between the two countries. Although troops disengaged from several friction points, around 50,000–60,000 soldiers from each side still remain deployed in eastern Ladakh, which makes de-escalation a top agenda item.
Wang Yi’s visit gains significance because it precedes PM Modi’s planned trip to China later this month to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, following a short visit to Japan.
The visit also carries weight amid rising strain in India-US relations, after President Donald Trump doubled tariffs on Indian goods and added an extra 25 per cent penalty for India’s purchase of Russian oil.
Steps Toward Normalisation and Rebuilding Trust
India and China have already taken steps to normalise ties. India resumed the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and restarted tourist visas for Chinese nationals, while both sides began talks on reviving direct flight services that have remained suspended since the 2020 pandemic and border tensions.
NSA Doval travelled to China in December 2024 for SR talks with Wang Yi, weeks after PM Modi and President Xi Jinping met in Kazan and decided to reactivate dialogue mechanisms. In recent months, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and EAM Jaishankar also visited China for SCO meetings.
Wang Yi’s visit provides both nations a crucial opportunity to rebuild trust, stabilise the border situation, and set the stage for PM Modi’s upcoming trip to China.
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