Wang Yi Moots India-China Ballet While Slamming US, Japan

“A cooperative pas de deux of the dragon and the elephant is the only right choice for both sides,” China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi told a packed press conference in Beijing. This is perhaps the first time he has used the analogy of a ballet involving two dancers, male and female, in the context of India China relations.

“We should never allow bilateral relations to be decided by the boundary question or let specific differences affect the overall picture of our bilateral ties,” Wang Yi said.

He added both countries should be “partners in each other’s success”, overlooking the fact that China is yet to address India’s complaints about trade barriers that have resulted in a $100 billion + trade deficit for the latter. China watchers in India say one needs to carefully monitor what steps Beijing takes in the next few weeks to address Indian concerns at a time when pressure from US President Donald Trump is increasing.

The key question is whether India can leverage US pressure to get China to cooperate. Wang Yi’s pas de deux can be taken seriously, they say, only when tangible steps are taken to bring some balance in the bilateral trade. But much of the Chinese foreign minister’s remarks were in the context of the US relationship.

“No country should fantasise that they can suppress China and maintain good relations with China at the same time,” he warned. “Such two-faced acts are not good for the stability of bilateral relations or for building mutual trust”.

Describing US tariffs on fentanyl imports from China as “evil”, he commended his country’s economic resilience and projected confidence in the face of US tariffs and technology curbs.

He stressed the importance of stability in the Indo-Pacific region, stating that Asia should not be an arena for big power rivalry. In that context, he dismissed his country’s naval confrontations with the Philippines as “shadow play” orchestrated by foreign forces and pointedly slammed the U.S. deployment of medium-range missiles in Asia.

He warned Japan over its support for Taiwan’s independence and reiterated his country’s determination to see Taiwan reunified with the mainland.

Wang Yi reaffirmed China’s “no limits” relationship with Russia and expressed support for peace efforts in Ukraine, though he did not commit to sending peacekeeping troops when asked. Wang Yi’s comments on international issues were in the context of the deliberations in the National People’s Congress (China’s rubber stamp parliament) and the Political Consultative Conference on a wide range of domestic issues with international implications.