Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is scheduled to visit India for two days from August 18 to 19, 2025, at the invitation of India's National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval. During this visit, Wang Yi will engage in the 24th round of Special Representatives' Talks on the India-China boundary question with NSA Ajit Doval, who acts as India's Special Representative for the border talks.

Additionally, External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar will hold bilateral meetings with Wang Yi, reflecting the significance of this diplomatic engagement.

This visit is particularly important as it comes just ahead of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi's planned trip to China to attend the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, scheduled for August 31 to September 1, 2025. The visit also reflects ongoing efforts to improve bilateral relations following tense years after the 2020 Galwan Valley clash and the military stand-off in eastern Ladakh.

Since the 2020 clashes, both India and China have taken steps toward restoring and stabilizing their relationship. This includes resuming high-level dialogue mechanisms such as the Special Representatives talks, with prior meetings between Wang Yi and Ajit Doval last held in December 2024 following an understanding reached at the BRICS summit in Kazan in October 2024. Key developments include agreements to disengage from friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), resumption of patrols in Depsang Plains and Demchok, and several confidence-building measures to uphold peace and tranquillity along the border.

Beyond security talks, the two nations have seen positive diplomatic and cultural exchanges: The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra pilgrimage resumed after a five-year gap, tourist visas were restarted for Chinese nationals, and there is progress toward resuming direct flights and trade through selected border posts. Furthermore, business ties are witnessing a revival with shipments such as Indian diesel cargo arriving in China for the first time in over three years.

The Special Representatives' talks are expected to discuss not only the border issues but also confidence-building measures and a mutually acceptable framework for settling the boundary dispute. The talks and meetings during Wang Yi's visit are anticipated to set the stage for Prime Minister Modi's China visit, where he is slated to meet Chinese President Xi Jinping. Their meeting at the SCO summit will follow the recent October 2024 encounter between the two leaders in Kazan, where they agreed to revive dialogue mechanisms and cooperate on peace and stability along their border.

The visit and related diplomatic engagements underscore a concerted effort by both countries to reset and develop a more cooperative relationship amid broader regional and global challenges. China has officially welcomed PM Modi's participation in the SCO summit, expressing optimism that the event will foster greater regional cooperation, solidarity, and productive outcomes. This diplomatic thaw occurs despite continued complexities, including trade and geopolitical tensions involving other global powers.

Wang Yi's visit to India on August 18-19, 2025, represents a key step in the ongoing diplomatic process addressing the longstanding boundary disputes, enhancing high-level dialogue channels, and preparing the grounds for imminent bilateral interactions at the SCO summit, all signalling a cautious but hopeful recalibration of India-China relations after years of strain and conflict.

Based On ANI Report