Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi visits Tibet to ‘send message to India’ over border dispute
- The two countries have shown little signs of resolving the stand-off that prompted a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley in June
- Diplomatic observers said Wang’s visit highlighted how Beijing sees the region as vital to its national security
China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi made a rare visit to Tibet on Friday, including a trip to the disputed border with India, as the three-month military stand-off between the two countries continued to drag on with little sign of resolution.
Although a terse statement issued by the foreign ministry on Saturday did not mention India, Wang’s border trip was described by Chinese observers as an unusual and symbolic gesture.
Diplomatic negotiations and five rounds of military talks have failed to break the impasse over their long-running border dispute, which has developed into a broad and increasingly bitter dispute over trade, technology, investment and geopolitics.
Wang, who is China’s special representative in border talks with India, said the security and stability of Tibet is of pivotal importance to China’s overall development, according to the foreign ministry’s statement, and urged diplomats to work with local officials to protect national security in the face of unprecedented challenges in the post-coronavirus world.
His trip came a day before Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi promised to build a 1.4-million-strong military to defend the country’s sovereignty in a speech at an independence day ceremony.