New Delhi– Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in India on a visit that comes against the backdrop of some of the sharpest strains in bilateral ties in recent years. His arrival is being closely watched in New Delhi, as India grapples with the aftershocks of China’s overt military support to Pakistan and unresolved border disputes in eastern Ladakh.
Only three months ago, Beijing had openly backed Islamabad during Operation Sindoor, supplying it with advanced weapon systems including the J-10C fighter jets, PL-15 long-range air-to-air missiles, drones, and a variety of other missile systems. According to Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt Gen Rahul R Singh, China even provided Pakistan with live battlefield intelligence during the conflict, prompting him to explicitly label Beijing as one of the “adversaries” India was fighting.
Meanwhile, China has begun construction of the colossal 60 GW Medog dam on the Yarlung Tsangpo river, a project that carries grave strategic and environmental implications for India. Experts warn that the dam could alter river flows downstream, threatening water security across India’s northeast.
Despite the Indian Army’s strong calls for restoring the status quo ante of April 2020 in Ladakh, the government in October 2024 agreed to a “disengagement” formula with China. Under this arrangement, Indian patrols now require Chinese concurrence to access patrolling points in Depsang, Demchok, and Chumar. Additionally, “buffer zones” were created in Galwan, Hot Spring, and Pangong Tso – areas lying within India’s claim line – effectively curtailing India’s operational reach.
Critics argue this outcome reflects the fallout of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s controversial June 19, 2020 statement, when he declared: “Na koi hamari seema mein ghus aaya hai, na hi koi ghusa hua hai.” That assertion, they say, undermined India’s negotiating position and dishonored the sacrifice of 20 soldiers who laid down their lives in Galwan just days before.
As Wang Yi steps onto Indian soil today, his visit will test whether diplomacy can bridge the yawning trust deficit between the two Asian giants. For India, the challenge remains stark: balancing dialogue with an adversary that has not only redrawn the military map in Ladakh but also deepened its strategic embrace with Pakistan.
