In a significant meeting during the Friends of BRICS gathering in Johannesburg, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval engaged in a tough conversation with Chinese diplomat Wang Yi about the state of India-China bilateral relations. During their discussion, held on Monday, Doval candidly expressed that the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), India’s de-facto border with China, since 2020, had led to the erosion of strategic trust and the fundamental basis of the relationship between the two countries.
Wang Yi, a member of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Political Bureau and Director of the Office of the CPC Foreign Affairs Commission, is China’s special representative for boundary talks, just like Ajit Doval is for India. Their meeting marked the first special representative-level talks between the two countries on the boundary issue since 2019.
During the meeting, Ajit Doval stressed the critical importance of making continued efforts to fully resolve the situation and restore peace and tranquility in the border areas. He emphasized that achieving this would help eliminate obstacles in the bilateral relationship and return it to a state of normalcy.
Wang Yi echoed the sentiment, stating that the two sides should work together to enhance strategic mutual trust, focus on areas of consensus and cooperation, and overcome any hurdles they may encounter. He also expressed China’s commitment to never seek hegemony and reaffirmed their willingness to collaborate with developing nations, including India, in supporting multilateralism and democratizing international relations. Furthermore, China pledged to promote a more just and equitable development of the international order.
Both sides acknowledged that the India-China bilateral relationship holds significance not only for their respective nations but also for the wider region and the world at large.
The meeting between Doval and Yi comes in the aftermath of a recent interaction between Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and Wang Yi in Jakarta. During their discussions, they tackled outstanding issues pertaining to peace and tranquility in the border areas.
The India-China military standoff has persisted for over three years, with Jaishankar calling it one of the most complex challenges in his extensive diplomatic career. India has consistently emphasized that the bilateral relationship can only return to normalcy when peace prevails in the border areas.
In another context, Ajit Doval addressed the Friends of BRICS meeting on Monday, focusing on collective efforts to address cybersecurity challenges. He also held several bilateral meetings with counterparts from other BRICS nations and Friends of BRICS countries.
The upcoming BRICS Summit, hosted by South Africa, is set to take place next month. BRICS, comprising Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa, represents a crucial grouping of major emerging economies with the potential to shape global developments.
As India and China continue their dialogue and seek solutions to the issues at hand, the world watches closely, mindful of the broader implications for regional and global stability. The outcome of these high-level discussions will likely have far-reaching consequences for the future trajectory of India-China relations.
Sources By Agencies
