Chinese Foreign Minister Meets India’s NSA, Gets LAC Prick

NEW DELHI: A day after Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi tip-toed into New Delhi from Kabul, he held talks with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval. The visit itself was kept hush-hush till the last moment, with neither India nor China officially confirming it. Maybe, China wanted it that way. That explains why the dignitary wasn’t accorded a red-carpet welcome at the airport. The only visuals one saw upon his arrival was the minister leaving the airport in a black car, in the darkness of a muggy night.

Today morning, discussions between Wang Yi and the NSA were held in a cordial atmosphere, said sources. The situation along the LAC figured in a prominent way. And China that has been quite keen on taking bilateral ties forward without addressing prickly issues along the LAC got a taste of Indian firmness yet again.

The foreign minister was clearly told there’s a need to take forward early and complete disengagement in remaining areas along the LAC and remove impediments to allow the bilateral relationship to take its natural course. And India’s consistent position since the Chinese aggression began in May 2020 was reiterated: Continuation of present situation is not in mutual interest. Restoration of peace & tranquility will help build mutual trust and create an enabling environment for progress in relations, sources told StratNews Global.

India said there’s need to continue positive interactions both at diplomatic and military levels for restoration of peace and tranquility, a prerequisite for normalisation of bilateral ties.

Wang Yi invited the NSA to visit China to take forward the Special Representatives mechanism. Doval took a rain-check, saying he could visit but only after immediate issues are successfully resolved. The message may have hit home with a bang.