S Jaishankar (L) with Wang Yi at Rio de Janeiro. (Photo: X/@DrSJaishankar)
New Delhi: The foreign minister, S Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Rio de Janeiro on the sidelines of the G20 Summit. This marked the first high-level interaction between the two nations since their troops completed disengagement at key friction points in Demchok and Depsang in eastern Ladakh last month.
The meeting came weeks after the successful disengagement of Indian and Chinese forces from the line of actual control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, where they had been in a prolonged stand-off since 2020. This process included a resumption of joint patrolling after four and a half years, signalling progress in de-escalation efforts.
This is seen as a critical step in normalizing the ties between New Delhi and Beijing that froze owing to the tense stand-off. Following the meeting, both nations emphasized the need to build trust to normalize relations, although substantial troop deployments remain along the LAC.
Jaishankar and Wang reviewed bilateral ties and noted the recent progress in disengagement efforts. A significant topic was the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar pilgrimage to Tibet for Indian pilgrims – a practice that had been suspended since the Covid-19 pandemic and the border clashes.
Although no announcement was made for the resumption of the pilgrimage, Beijing may take a decision towards this soon. Jaishankar said India is “keen to facilitate this pilgrimage” for its citizens and emphasized that the resumption of this pilgrimage will reflect a broader commitment to improving ties between the two nations.
The two top diplomats also discussed views of the resumption of direct flights between the two countries and exchanged views on global and regional issues, underscoring the importance of collaboration on broader international challenges.
Jaishankar described the discussions as constructive and forward-looking. “We noted the progress in the recent disengagement in the India-China border areas and exchanged views on the next steps in our bilateral ties. Also discussed the global situation,” he stated on X.
On the sidelines of the G20 Summit in Rio, met CPC Politburo member and FM Wang Yi of China.
— Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) November 19, 2024
We noted the progress in the recent disengagement in the India-China border areas. And exchanged views on the next steps in our bilateral ties.
Also discussed the global situation. pic.twitter.com/fZDwHlkDQt
Wang highlighted that China remains committed to peaceful coexistence and dialogue to manage differences with India. He said, “China is committed to fostering a stable and cooperative relationship with India,” and emphasized that “both sides must work together to manage differences constructively.”
The meeting underscores efforts to stabilize India-China relations amid lingering border tensions. It also aligns with directives from leaders of both nations to restore mechanisms for bilateral dialogue. However, both sides acknowledge that achieving mutual trust and total de-escalation along the LAC will require sustained efforts.
The Indian side described the recent troop disengagement as a “first step” towards de-escalation. Jaishankar, while acknowledging that progress has been made between India and China towards taking the ties back to the pre-2000 days, he said “the road ahead will require sustained effort from both sides” to fully normalize relations.
Experts view the engagement in Rio as a potential stepping stone towards addressing long-standing issues, including border stability, while fostering cooperation on global matters.
