Daijiworld Media Network - New Delhi

New Delhi, Aug 18: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi will begin his two-day visit to India on Monday, holding crucial talks with External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, amid efforts to stabilise strained bilateral ties.

Wang Yi is scheduled to arrive in Delhi around 4.15 pm and meet EAM Jaishankar at 6.00 pm. On Tuesday, he will hold the Special Representatives (SR) dialogue on the boundary issue with NSA Doval at 11.00 am, before calling on PM Modi at his residence in the evening.

The visit comes days ahead of PM Modi’s planned trip to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit, and against the backdrop of recent trade tensions following US President Donald Trump’s decision to double tariffs on Indian goods and penalise purchases of Russian oil.

India and China are expected to discuss fresh confidence-building measures for durable peace along the contested border. Though troops have disengaged from several friction points, both sides still maintain 50,000 to 60,000 soldiers along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

The visit is also being seen as part of ongoing efforts to rebuild ties, severely strained after the deadly Galwan Valley clashes in 2020. Recent steps include resuming the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, restarting tourist visas for Chinese nationals, and talks on reviving direct flight services suspended since 2020.

NSA Doval had last travelled to China in December 2024 for SR talks, following a decision by PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan to revive dialogue mechanisms. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and Jaishankar also visited China in recent months for SCO engagements.