Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday urged India to embrace a “ballet” of cooperation with China, asserting that mutual success is the “only right choice” for both nations. His remarks come as India and China take steps towards normalizing ties after the four-year Ladakh military standoff.
Speaking at his annual press conference during China’s parliament session, Wang, a senior leader in the Communist Party of China (CPC), underscored the need for collaboration rather than competition. “There is every reason for us to support each other rather than undermine each other or undercut each other,” he said.
India-China relations froze in June 2020 following the Galwan Valley clashes, but Wang highlighted “positive strides” after last year’s disengagement of troops from the Depsang and Demchok areas. He pointed to the Modi-Xi meeting in Kazan in October 2023 as a turning point, stating that both nations have since strengthened exchanges and practical cooperation.
Reiterating China’s long-standing stance, Wang argued that border disputes should not define overall ties, dismissing India’s insistence on peace at the border as a precondition for diplomatic progress. “We should never allow bilateral relations to be defined by the boundary question or let specific differences affect the overall picture,” he stated.
In an apparent dig at U.S. influence in the Indo-Pacific, Wang emphasized that India and China, as major forces in the Global South, must resist “hegemonism and power politics.” He suggested that a China-India alliance could reshape global governance, promoting “greater democracy in international affairs.”
With 2025 marking the 75th anniversary of China-India diplomatic relations, Wang extended an olive branch, expressing China’s willingness to “sum up past experience and forge a path forward.” His remarks come amid India’s deepening security ties with the U.S. and Quad allies, a move Beijing has repeatedly criticized.
The next steps in India-China relations remain uncertain, with National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Wang Yi holding high-level talks in Beijing last December, followed by Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri’s visit in January 2024. Whether these diplomatic engagements will ease long-standing tensions or merely mask deeper geopolitical rivalries remains to be seen.
