New Delhi, Aug 16 (Bloomberg) – China will send Foreign Minister Wang Yi to New Delhi next week, in a fresh effort to ease long-standing tensions with India amid shifting global trade dynamics.
Wang is expected to arrive on August 18, marking his first visit to India in more than three years. He is likely to meet National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, according to people familiar with the matter.
Talks are set to focus on reducing troop levels along the disputed Himalayan border, a move officials say would be a significant step toward restoring trust between the two neighbors. Discussions are also underway to restart border trade and resume direct flights as early as next month.
Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi is also expected to travel to China in August, his first visit in seven years.
Relations between New Delhi and Beijing deteriorated sharply after a deadly border clash in 2020 but began improving late last year. The latest outreach comes as India’s ties with Washington face strain, with the U.S. imposing a 50% tariff on Indian exports—well above duties levied on regional peers.
China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Thursday it was ready to work with India to “properly handle differences in the face of the big picture,” stressing that the two countries are major developing nations and key members of the Global South.
India’s Ministry of External Affairs did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Rebuilding Trade Links
The two nations are considering reviving border trade in locally produced goods after more than five years. Both sides have proposed reopening trade routes at designated Himalayan points, people familiar with the matter said.
For decades, India and China exchanged goods such as spices, carpets, wooden furniture, cattle fodder, pottery, medicinal plants, electric goods, and wool through three border posts. Trade volumes have been modest, totaling about $3.16 million in 2017–18, according to the most recent government data.
