Explained: state of play between China and India | News explained

This correspondent was part of an Indian media delegation that visited China at the invitation of the Chinese government. This was the first media delegation to visit the country since 2019 following the Covid-19 pandemic and border standoff.

Open for business

The message from several meetings with Chinese officials, members of the business community, academics and analysts from state-run think tanks and media organizations was clear: China wanted to move forward in the bilateral relationship and was open for business.

Senior Chinese officials spoke of the chemistry between President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, which they said was evident when the two leaders met on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan, Russia, on October 23 .

The officials said the two sides were discussing ways to return ties to normal as before the start of the face-off in April-May 2020 along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Officials outlined their wish list: resuming direct flights between the two countries, easing visa restrictions for Chinese nationals, including diplomats and academics, lifting the ban on Chinese mobile apps, allowing Chinese journalists to report from India, allow more Indian films in Chinese. theaters, etc.

Thaw after Galwan

All these restrictions and restrictions were put in place after the bloody Galwan clashes in June 2020, in which 20 Indian soldiers, including a colonel-rank officer, and at least four Chinese soldiers were killed.

The Galwan clashes were the deadliest along the border since 1967 and cast a dark shadow over political ties. After many rounds of talks between the two countries, India announced a breakthrough on October 21 this year and soldiers from both sides began patrolling along the LAC.

The agreement on patrol modalities was an important start in the three-step process of disengagement, de-escalation and disintegration of troops. An important meeting took place this week to move the process forward.

On September 18, Foreign Minister S Jaishankar met Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the G20 leaders' summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The two ministers discussed next steps India-China relationsaccording to the official statement released by India.

Views from the marquees

The Indian and Chinese statements after the Jaishankar-Wang meeting provide a window into how New Delhi and Beijing view the situation and the way forward.

The Indian statement said the ministers recognized that disengagement in our border areas had contributed to maintaining peace and tranquility. The discussions focused on the next steps in India-China relations. It was agreed that a meeting of special representatives and the secretary-deputy foreign minister mechanism would take place soon.

The Chinese statement was more enthusiastic: Wang Yi said that President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi recently held a fruitful meeting in Kazan and that China-India relations have been resumed and revived, which is in line with the fundamental interests of the two countries. the people, the expectations of the countries of the South and the right direction of history.

The Indian statement was in line with how New Delhi has defined the state of bilateral relations, according to which the situation on the border is a prerequisite for next steps.

China, however, went ahead to describe the Modi-Xi meeting as a reboot and revival.

In step and not

Concerning the next steps, there are both convergences and divergences.

The Indian statement said among the measures discussed were resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra pilgrimage, sharing of data on cross-border rivers, direct flights between India and China and media exchanges.

The Chinese statement said: We should strive to make concrete progress as soon as possible in resuming direct flights, mutual assignment of journalists and visa facilitation. Next year will mark the 75th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between China and India, and the two sides should plan commemorative activities and encourage exchanges and visits in all fields and at all levels to strengthen understanding and mutual trust.

The two parties discussed the resumption of direct flights and media exchanges.

The Indian Express traveled to Beijing via Hong Kong. Before the pandemic, Chinese airlines such as Air China and China Southern operated direct flights to India.

There is currently an Indian journalist in Beijing; there are no Chinese journalists in Delhi. Journalists from both countries have had to leave in recent years after their visas were not renewed. There is a strong feeling that journalists from each country should be allowed to report freely on the other.

However, India did not mention the 75th anniversary events and China did not talk about the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and sharing of river data.

Despite the differences, it is important that India, which had taken a very strong stance on not normalizing relations until the situation on the border improves, has agreed to discuss next steps. While officials and analysts in Beijing advocate a resumption of relations, India is being cautious and cautious, mindful of the hardening of public opinion over the past four and a half years.

It is not yet clear when the next meeting of special representatives and the secretary-deputy foreign minister mechanism will take place. The last negotiations at the SR level took place in December 2019.

Next: de-escalation

On Thursday, in the latest sign that India and China were moving to repair relations, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun met in Vientiane, Lao PDR, on the sidelines of the 11th meeting of ASEAN Defense Ministers.

Singh said the two countries should focus on cooperation rather than conflict, and stressed and hoped for greater trust between the two sides through de-escalation.

With 50,000 to 60,000 troops deployed across the LAC in eastern Ladakh, de-escalation is an important next step. Both sides completed the disengagement process at the two friction points before Diwali. Indian troops have resumed their patrols.

The Chinese official in Beijing told The Indian Express: “If we do not progress, we regress. The Indian establishment is cautiously monitoring the situation on the border. De-escalation will be a key milestone for the next steps.