Chinese FM Wang Yi Arrives In India, In First High Level Visit After Galwan Clash
New Delhi, March 24 : Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in the Indian capital on Thursday evening in the first visit by a senior Chinese minister to New Delhi since the Galwan clash two years ago. Wang, who flew down from the Afghan capital in an Airbus, is slated to hold talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval – in a visit that officials have not said a word about yet. Ironically, the visit comes a day after India slammed the Chinese Foreign Minister for his remarks on Jammu and Kashmir at the Organisation of Islamic Conference meet in Islamabad. The visit comes even as India has said that relations with Beijing are dependant on peace and tranquility at the border. PM Modi made these remarks during the summit with Australian PM Scott Morrison on Monday.
EAM Jaishankar has also said that India’s relationship with China are going through a “very difficult phase” after Beijing violated agreements not to bring the military forces on the border, and that the “state of the border will determine the state of the relationship”. Tenzin Lekdhen from Students For a Free Tibet-India was seen holding a placard at the International arrival area of Delhi airport, that said “WANG YI YOU ARE NOT WELCOME’ – “calling out China for its atrocities, crimes against humanity in Tibet and other occupied countries”. Former Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao, in a series of tweets, gave an insight into the Chinese FM’s India visit. “Why is Wang Yi coming to India? Some thoughts in this thread: “The Chinese have a confirmed propensity for such choreographed diplomatic manoeuvers– that is their style and habitual mode of transacting foreign relations. Secondly, they see an opening, a scope for new alignments that must be explored against the scenario of the Russia-Ukraine war, especially if any new alignments can take away from the sum of coalitions within the Indo-Pacific, led by the United States. “India is a key and central power in this calculus-an India that is careful not to criticize or condemn Russia for its actions, or, pin its colors to a western mast — a country which powers like China (and by extension, Russia) would like to see inching towards their side, although I believe, we remain solidly (and not ‘shakily’ to use a Bidenesque term) with our partners in the Quad (and I believe they have little option but to understand, and accept, our position on Russia, given the constraints dictated by our defence relationship with that country).
“Thirdly, the Chinese want to use the current situation to see how they can pin down and probe India on the future of bilateral relations, away from our emphasis on restoration of the status quo along the LAC in Ladakh, to a wider canvas of ‘business as usual’ in relations, which would convey a ‘success’ for China. “How China can imagine such an eventuality defies logic or reason or realism. Wang Yi’s flat-footedness at the OIC meet in Islamabad and the reference to Kashmir was not designed for a successful India visit. “Which leads me to think – China continues to ignore a basic tenet about how good relations and mutual trust can be built – which is mutual sensitivity.
China, are you listening?” The Chinese Foreign Minister earlier today made a pit stop at Kabul and met with the Taliban leadership to strengthen bilateral ties. He is flying to Nepal tomorrow for a two-day scheduled visit.
