BEIJING/NEW DELHI: Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Monday urged India to adopt a “correct strategic understanding” and treat China as a partner rather than a rival, during talks with his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar in New Delhi.
According to Beijing’s readout, Wang said China was ready to pursue cordial and mutually beneficial ties with India. He emphasized that both nations, as major developing countries, should set an example of unity and cooperation for the world.
The two foreign ministers discussed border stability, trade, economic cooperation, cultural exchanges, river data sharing, and connectivity. “We had productive conversations on our economic and trade issues, pilgrimages, people-to-people contacts, river data sharing, border trade, connectivity and bilateral exchanges,” Jaishankar said, adding that the talks could help foster a stable and forward-looking relationship.
China’s foreign ministry noted that dialogue and exchanges between the two sides were gradually being restored, with relations “returning to cooperation.”
Wang arrived in New Delhi for a two-day visit to participate in the 24th round of border talks with Indian National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and is also scheduled to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Jaishankar stressed that peace along the disputed border was critical for broader ties. “Having seen a difficult period in our relationship, our two nations now seek to move ahead. This requires a candid and constructive approach from both sides,” he remarked. He also reiterated the need for both sides to pull back troops massed along their Himalayan frontier since the deadly 2020 clash.
Wang’s trip comes just days before Prime Minister Modi heads to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit—his first visit there in seven years.
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Relations between the two Asian giants nosedived following the 2020 Galwan Valley clash, which left 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese troops dead. Tensions began to ease in October 2024 after Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping reached an agreement in Russia to de-escalate military tensions on the border.
The thaw in India-China relations carries significant implications for Pakistan, which has long relied on Beijing as its closest ally and counterweight to Indian regional dominance. If China and India manage to normalize ties, New Delhi could seek economic cooperation that competes with or sidelines projects like the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC). This would test Pakistan’s position as Beijing’s “all-weather partner.” For Pakistan, a reduction in China-India tensions could free up New Delhi to focus more assertively on its western front. Conversely, continued rivalry has traditionally tied down Indian military resources along the Himalayan border, indirectly benefiting Pakistan’s security calculus.
With Pakistan, India, and China all part of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, improved India-China relations may alter the balance of influence within the bloc, potentially sidelining Pakistan’s diplomatic space if it does not recalibrate its approach. While Beijing may continue to prioritize its partnership with Islamabad, greater cooperation with India could mean China pursues a more pragmatic, balanced South Asia policy—something Pakistan’s foreign policymakers will be watching closely.
In short, while improved ties between Beijing and New Delhi could stabilize the region, they also pose the risk of diluting Pakistan’s strategic leverage as China’s primary South Asian partner.