India-China Diplomatic Heat Rises: Wang Yi to Land in Delhi for High-Stakes Border Talks with Ajit Doval Before SCO Summit

New Delhi: In a move that could shape the next chapter of the India-China relationship, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is set to visit India next week for critical, high-stakes talks with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval over the decades-old border dispute. The meeting comes just days before the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in China — where a rare face-to-face between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping is being discussed.

Wang Yi and Ajit Doval, the designated Special Representatives of their countries for border negotiations, last met in June during the SCO National Security Advisers’ meeting in China. This time, the backdrop is more charged — with lingering mistrust from the Ladakh standoff, yet cautious optimism after incremental diplomatic breakthroughs.

Over the past year, both nations have made small but symbolic moves to thaw relations. In 2024, India and China reached a partial disengagement agreement in Ladakh. Earlier this year, China reopened the Kailash-Mansarovar Yatra, and India resumed issuing visas to Chinese tourists. Direct flights, suspended since the COVID-19 pandemic, are expected to restart in the coming weeks.

The SCO summit could mark PM Modi’s first visit to China since 2018, and diplomats are closely watching for any direct Modi–Xi engagement, which could send strong geopolitical signals amid shifting global alliances.

Adding fuel to the diplomatic drama, Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong took an unexpected swipe at US President Donald Trump last week, siding with India after Trump announced a punitive 50% tariff on Indian goods over its continued purchase of Russian oil. “Give the bully an inch, he will take a mile,” Xu wrote on X — a statement that has already stirred chatter in global political circles.