China's Wang Yi Visiting India on Monday: To Meet National Security Advisor Ajit Doval Amid Ties Thaw

New Delhi (The Uttam Hindu): On August 18, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is scheduled to travel to India for discussions through the Special Representatives mechanism. Ajit Doval, the National Security Advisor, will meet with Wang Yi during the visit. This visit takes place as China and India attempt to mend their strained relationship after the 2020 border dispute in Galwan.

In the deadly conflict on June 15, 2020, 20 Indian soldiers died along the Line of Actual Control between India and China in the Galwan Valley. While China initially did not disclose casualty numbers, reports indicated the Chinese army possibly suffered more than twice the casualties as India. The clash marked a six-decade low in bilateral relations between the two countries. However, both nations have since been working to restore ties, agreeing to disengage troops along eastern Ladakh and the Depsang and Demchok regions.

This meeting of Wang Yi with Ajit Doval comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's visit to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit on August 31. In recent months, External Affairs Minister Dr. S Jaishankar visited China for the SCO foreign ministers meeting, where he also met Wang Yi. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh also attended the SCO defence ministers' meeting in China in June. As part of the thaw between India and China, both countries have reportedly ordered their airlines to resume direct flights between New Delhi and Beijing.