China-India border: Chinese foreign minister expected to visit New Delhi, a first since deadly clash in 2020

Name: China shares video of deadly 2020 border clash with Indian troops in Galwan Valley
Uploaded: 2022-03-23T10:22:58.000Z
Duration: 1 min 31 s
Description: China shares video of deadly 2020 border clash with Indian troops in Galwan Valley

Ukraine crisis and imminent BRICS summit expected to be on the agenda when Wang Yi visits India, say experts

Countries have taken a similar position on Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and both have drawn similar criticism from the West

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An expected – but unconfirmed – visit by Foreign Minister Wang Yi to India would be the first by a senior Chinese government official since a border skirmish between troops in June 2020. Photo: Bloomberg

Kunal PurohitandShi Jiangtao

Published: 6:22pm, 23 Mar 2022Updated: 7:31pm, 23 Mar 2022

Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to visit India this week, the highest-level visit by Beijing since a deadly clash along their disputed Himalayan border almost two years ago.

Observers said in addition to the border dispute, the ongoing Ukraine crisis – which has seen the two nations taking a similar position on Russia – would be on the agenda.

Sources in India said Wang’s visit would come over the next two days. Bloomberg, citing a person familiar with the matter, said Wang was expected to meet national security adviser Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar.

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China shares video of deadly 2020 border clash with Indian troops in Galwan Valley

Neither India’s Ministry of External Affairs nor China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs officially confirmed the trip.

Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said at a regular press briefing in Beijing on Wednesday he had “no information to offer at the moment” on a possible visit.

Wang’s trip would be the first by a senior Chinese government official since May 2020, and since soldiers from both sides clashed at their disputed border.

During 15 meetings over the past two years, military commanders from the two nations have made only incremental progress, agreeing to pull back troops from three friction points along the disputed Himalayan border, with stand-offs still occurring from time to time.