In the backdrop of the Russia-Ukraine crisis and the 22 month long standoff between the Indian and Chinese troops, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is likely to visit India later this month.
Though no dates have officially been announced, if the visit happens then it will be a first since the Galwan incident which started in 2020.
According to reports the Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, who is also one of the State Council leaders of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) is headed to Nepal on March 26.
And, if he visits New Delhi, “it will be a short working visit and the focus of the talks with his counterpart Dr S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval, will be focused on resolving the military standoff in eastern Ladakh,” a source said.
The troops of both India and China are engaged in a standoff since April-May 2020 along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh.
Significance of the visit
The visit which is likely to happen later this month will come following the visit of the Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida and the India-Australia virtual summit, where the focus of talks besides bilateral issues will discuss the Chinese belligerence in the Indo-Pacific region as well as the Russia-Ukraine crisis.
The Chinese foreign minister Wangi Yi, according to reports has earlier this year visited Sri Lanka, Maldives and last year too he had visited south Asian countries.
His visit comes at a time when Russia and Ukraine are at war. Prime Minister Narendra Modi had recently urged the leaders of Russia and Ukraine to find a diplomatic solution. China, member country of BRICS and Russia-India-China (RIC) too has urged for a diplomatic solution to the ongoing war between Russia and Ukraine.
Earlier this year in January, during his visit to India, Sergei Lavrov, Russian foreign minister, had suggested that RIC grouping could be useful in promoting confidence and trust between India and China.
How many times Dr Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart?
Both have met several times at various forums following the Galwan incident in 2020. The two have discussed in person as well as through telephone calls to find a solution to the ongoing standoff between the armies of both countries.