Why the secrecy with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi’s trip to South Asia?
- Wang made unannounced stops in Afghanistan, India and Nepal
- The arrangement is unusual and signals Beijing could be in diplomatic crisis mode, one observer says
Observers said the unannounced nature of the trip was highly unusual and motivated in part by Beijing’s fears of diplomatic isolation.
Wang’s first stop on Monday was Pakistan, China’s top ally and what Wang referred to as his “second home”.
After attending as Islamabad’s “special guest” a gathering of foreign ministers from more than 50 Muslim-majority nations which avoided the question of China’s treatment of its Uygur minority in Xinjiang, Wang flew into Kabul on Thursday for a surprise visit.
During the brief, unannounced stopover, China’s highest-level visit since the Taliban took power in August, he repeated Beijing’s support for the Afghan government, a regime sanctioned by the West and yet to be officially recognised abroad.
Then it was on to India.
Neither Beijing or New Delhi announced Wang’s India visit before his arrival on Thursday afternoon despite rampant Indian media speculation.