Can there be a thaw in India-China ties?

October 23, 2024

NEW DELHI – Prime Minister Modi signalled India’s willingness to engage with China when during an interview with Newsweek in April this year he mentioned that ‘stable and peaceful relations between India and China are important for not just our two countries but the entire region and world.’ This was responded to by China. Soon after he assumed charge as PM in June, there were a series of meetings.

External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, once each in July and August. In September, India’s NSA, Ajit Doval, met Wang Yi in St Petersburg, Russia, on the sidelines of the BRICS+ National Security Advisers meeting. The MEA statement mentioned after this interaction, “Both sides agreed to work with urgency and redouble their efforts to realize complete disengagement in the remaining areas.” Simultaneously, there were two back-to-back WMCC (Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs) meetings.

These had never happened so frequently ever since the standoff began. The last Corps Commander level meeting was held on 19 February this year. The 31st WMCC meeting held on 29 August had for the first time said in their joint statement that the two sides would, “narrow down the differences and find early resolution of the outstanding issues. For this, they further agreed for intensified contact through diplomatic and military channels.” It gave an impression that a resolution could be on the cards prior to the BRICS+ summit scheduled in Kazan, Russia from 22 to 24 October. The belief within the Indian security establishment was that even commencement of serious discussions on resolution of one of the two remaining standoffs could result in a