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Foreign ministers

China and India to Strengthen Ties with Historic Meeting of Foreign Ministers

Strategic Insights

— 2 min read

Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi will meet Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday, marking a significant shift in the two countries' warming relations. Mr Wang arrived in Delhi on Monday and will hold discussions with senior Indian officials to mend their bilateral relationship and strengthen coordination between their militaries. The visit aims to lay the groundwork for Mr Modi's upcoming visit to China to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit on August 31 and September 1.

Key Takeaways:

  • Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi is set to meet with Indian prime minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday as part of a two-day visit to Delhi.
  • The discussions will cover a range of issues, including the mending of their bilateral relationship and coordination between their two militaries after a deadly 2020 clash along their disputed Himalayan border.
  • An agreement last October on how to patrol the border has eased a five-year standoff between the two countries, which had hurt trade and investment and seen all direct flights suspended.
  • Mr Modi is set to visit China on August 29 for a bilateral visit and then attend the SCO summit in Tianjin on August 31 and September 1.
  • This will be the Indian leader's first visit to China in seven years.
  • The two countries share a 3,488km border that runs from Ladakh in the west to Arunachal Pradesh in the east.
  • China holds a large piece of territory called the Aksai Chin in Ladakh that it won during a 1962 war, and claims Arunachal as part of the province of Tibet.
  • The 2020 clash in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh resulted in the deaths of at least 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers, marking the first time in 45 years that a clash on the border had led to fatalities.
  • India had clamped down on Chinese companies, prohibiting them from investing in critical economic sectors and banning Chinese apps.
  • In October 2022, Beijing and New Delhi agreed on a significant military disengagement at a key border flashpoint.

Statistics:

  • 3,488km: the length of the India-China border that runs from Ladakh to Arunachal Pradesh.
  • 20: the number of Indian soldiers killed in the 2020 clash in the Galwan Valley.
  • 4: the number of Chinese soldiers killed in the 2020 clash in the Galwan Valley.
  • 45 years: the length of time since the last deadly clash on the India-China border.
  • October 2022: the month when Beijing and New Delhi agreed on a significant military disengagement at a key border flashpoint.
  • August 29: the date of Mr Modi's visit to China for a bilateral visit.
  • August 31 and September 1: the dates of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin.

Sources:

  • [Arpan Rai]

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