China Set For Himalaya Meet Near Arunachal Border, Pakistan FM To Attend

Despite strained relations between India and China, Beijing is set to host the 3rd Trans-Himalaya Forum for International Cooperation held in Nyingchi, Tibet on October 4 and 5.

The event will be attended by Pakistan's caretaker Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani. This development is expected to complicate India and China's ties further after Beijing refused to give visas to Arunachal athletes for the Asian Games.

This made Union Sports Minister Anurag Thakur cancel his scheduled visit to Hangzhou for the Asian Games. An MEA statement read: "In line with our long-standing and consistent position, India firmly rejects differential treatment of Indian citizens on the basis of domicile or ethnicity. Arunachal Pradesh was, is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India."

The statement said India had lodged a strong protest with Beijing for "China's deliberate and selective obstruction of some of our sportspersons".

For more than 40 months, India and China have remained embroiled in a border dispute in eastern Ladakh. The relationship between the two nations significantly deteriorated after a fatal clash occurred in the Galwan Valley of Eastern Ladakh in June 2020.

On the other hand, the Pakistan minister will address the opening ceremony of the Trans-Himalaya Forum. Alongside Pakistan, delegates from Mongolia and Afghanistan are expected to be part of the event, Dawn reported.

According to China, the Trans-Himalaya Forum, which was established in 2018, strives to promote increased cooperation among neighboring countries on aspects such as geographical connectivity, environmental preservation, ecological conservation, and the reinforcement of cultural bonds.