India- China Relations

India -China relations have witnessed many ups and downs as border disputes have affected the routine affairs. Not only that, the Chinese patronage of Pakistan has been causing concern in India. In spite of these issues there has been a considerable movement in the bilateral relations between the two Asian giants. This started with the previous meeting between the Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping. One more development has taken place and it seems that the relations between the two neighbours will witness improvement. Prime Minister Narendra Modi received an invitation from the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. He conveyed this invitation to the Prime Minister on behalf of the Chinese President Xi Jinping at a meeting that was held in the 7 Lok Kalyan Marg. The Chinese Foreign Minister extended the invitation to the Prime Minister on behalf of Xi Jinping to attend the upcoming SCO Summit in Tianjin. The invitation has been accepted by the Prime Minister. During the meeting Prime Minister Modi underlined the steady progress in the bilateral relations between the two nations since his meeting with President Xi held last year in Kazan. Expressing his thoughts after meeting the Chinese Foreign Minister, Prime Minister Modi wrote on the social media site X and said, Glad to meet Foreign Minister Wang Yi. Since my meeting with President Xi in Kazan last year, India-China relations have made steady progress guided by respect for each other’s interests and sensitivities. I look forward to our next meeting in Tianjin on the sidelines of the SCO Summit. Stable, predictable, constructive ties between India and China will contribute significantly to regional as well as global peace and prosperity.” It is pertinent  to mention that  the meeting has taken place  at a time when the United States (US) President Donald Trump has imposed a 25 %  tariff plus the penalty on India for doing business with Russia. In totality this tariff amounts to 50 %.This development is seen to have created a situation for the new dynamics in India-China relations. There is a buzz that the thaw in India-China relations has an American factor. It is pertinent to mention that during the recent India-Pakistan conflict, China had shown a clear tilt towards Pakistan . Despite that, India-China rapprochement is worth  watching. This will be Prime Minister Modi’s first visit in  seven years, previously he had visited China in 2018 to attend the SCO Summit. India-China bilateral relations at present are moving forward in terms of the boundary  issue where the emphasis is being laid on fair and mutually acceptable resolution. Resumption of the historic and ancient Kailash ManSarovar Yatra had indeed been an important confidence building measure. Stable and healthy ties between the two ancient nations have reached a new level and instilled a new confidence with the 24th  round of Special Representatives(SRs) talks on the boundary issue. National Security Advisor(NSA) Ajit Doval and the Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri have visited China and created an atmosphere of trust between the two nations. External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr. S. Jaishankar’s meeting with his Chinese counterpart covered  bilateral, regional and international matters of concern. Issue of  terrorism in all its forms was also raised during the discussions .Issues related to the  construction of a mega dam on the lower reaches of the  Yarlung Tsangpo river have also been raised with China. The bilateral relations will enter a new phase with  the formation of the  Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination(WMCC) on India-China Border Affairs.