Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri meets China’s Wang Yi: ‘improvement and development of relations fully align with fundamental interests’

According to the Chinese readout, Misri said “the two countries have engaged in a series of beneficial dialogues and communications, properly managed and resolved differences, and promoted the resumption of practical cooperation in various fields.”

Misri added, “India is willing to work with China to jointly celebrate the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations and will fully support China in its role as the rotating chair of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization”.

There was no official statement from the Ministry of External Affairs.

Moving to resume bilateral engagements after the border disengagement, Misri Sunday landed in Beijing and met a top Chinese Communist Party (CPC) leader. Misri will meet his Chinese counterpart, Vice Foreign Minister Sun Weidong, on Monday for bilateral talks.

In Misri’s meeting with Liu Jianchao, head of the International Department of the CPC’s central committee, “the two sides exchanged views on jointly implementing the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, strengthening exchanges and dialogues, and promoting the improvement and healthy and stable development of China-India relations, as well as international and regional issues of common concern”, Chinese state-backed outlet Global Times reported.

The foreign secretary’s visit is a move to repair damaged bilateral ties after Chinese incursions in 2020 triggered a military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh.

Earlier, Chinese officials said the two sides were discussing ways to bring ties back to “normal” — as it was before the face-off began in April-May 2020.

Beijing has outlined its “wish list” — including the resumption of direct flights between the two countries, easing of visa curbs on Chinese nationals including diplomats and scholars, lifting of the ban on Chinese mobile apps, letting Chinese journalists report from India, and allowing more Indian movies in Chinese theatres.

These restrictions were imposed after the Galwan clashes in June 2020 in which 20 Indian soldiers, including a Colonel-rank officer, and at least four Chinese soldiers were killed.

Although disengagement was completed in early November last year, and patrolling has resumed at some of the friction points, the next steps of de-escalation and de-induction of troops are still to be done.

Delhi has so far maintained that it would like to see progress on the border situation before moving on to normalising the relationship. There might be some movement on direct flights and visas for Chinese nationals. But going back to the pre-2020 levels will take some time.

Last Friday, China welcomed Misri’s visit and sounded positive about its outcome, saying the development followed a series of interactions between top leaders and officials from both countries after over four years of stalled ties over the Ladakh military standoff.