Spring is in the air. And the weather seems to reflect the gradual thaw between China and India. In the spirit of the season, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi is expected to visit India soon, according to ANI.
There is no confirmation by the ministry of external affairs as yet. At the weekly press briefing, the MEA remained tight-lipped saying that there was no information on the proposed visit. But if the visit should materialise it will be the first high-level engagement between the two countries post the Galwan incident. An important step ahead to bring temperatures down and set tone for further engagements.
But the foreign minister's visit comes at a time when the disengagement is not complete. There has been no breakthrough. On March 11, the 15th round of Corps Commander level meeting was held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on the Indian side. There was a joint statement, which was a step further than the 13th round where there were separate statements. Both sides agreed to “maintain the security and stability along the Line of Actual Control in the Western Sector'', according to the statement put out by the Indian Army.
Apart from opening the door for further dialogue, it is expected that the foreign minister will invite Prime Minister Narendra Modi for the BRICS summit to be held later this year. China will certainly be hoping that Modi will travel to China for an in-person meeting.
China will be hoping to breathe life into the BRICS grouping—which had not seen much traction—under its chairmanship.
The visit comes at a time when India and China have chosen to stand in Russia's corner during the Ukraine crisis. Russia as common factor has helped soften the stand between the two neighbours. On March 7, Wang Yi has been quoted as saying that New Delhi should be partners for mutual success not adversaries of mutual attrition. According to a state-run news outlet, the foreign minister admitted that there had been setback between India and China but he was quoted as saying that the situation does not serve the fundamental interests of the two countries and peoples.
The boundary dispute, he stressed should not impact the bilateral relations and the differences could be managed through dialogue and consultation, reports said.
“For China and India, both major countries with a population of over a billion, only by staying independent can we firmly grasp our own destiny and realize our goals of development and rejuvenation,” he has been quoted as saying.
Whether India will be able to divorce the bilateral from the border situation remains to be seen.
