First since standoff: Chinese foreign minister likely to visit India this month

New Delhi, Mar 16: The foreign minister of China, Wang Yi may visit India later this month. While the trip has not been fully locked in and the dates are yet to be decided, this visit would be important considering the tense military standoff between India and China along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh.

In case the trip goes as per plan, it would be the first by a senior Chinese leader to India after the military standoff began in May 2020. It may be recalled that a violent clash at the Galwan Valley in June 2020 resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops.

The Kathmandu Post reported that Yi is expected to visit Nepal from March 26-27 and will hold talks with the top leadership. However it is not clear whether Yi would first visit India or Nepal.

India and China on Friday, March 11, held another round of high-level military dialogue to resolve the 22-month-long standoff in certain remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh, two months after the last round of such talks failed to yield any significant outcome in resolving the row.

The 15th round of Corps-Commander level talks began at around 10 am at the Chushul-Moldo border point on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh, people familiar with the dialogue said.

It is learnt that India pressed for early disengagement of troops in remaining friction points including resolution of pending issues in Depsang Bulge and Demchok.

The main focus of the talks was the completion of the stalled disengagement process in the Hot Springs (Patrolling Point-15) areas, the people cited above said.

The Indian delegation at the talks is being led by Lt Gen Anindya Sengupta, the Commander of the Leh-based 14 Corps.

The 14th round of talks had taken place on January 12 and it did not result in any significant headway in resolving the row in remaining friction points.

"The two sides agreed to stay in close contact and maintain dialogue via military and diplomatic channels and work out a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest," a joint statement issued after the 14th round of talks said.

The Chinese delegation at the talks was to be headed by Maj Gen Yang Lin, commander of the South Xinjiang Military District.

(With PTI inputs)