BEIJING: Ahead of an expected meeting between Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang and his Indian counterpart S Jaishankar in New Delhi on Thursday, China said on Wednesday that it “values” its ties with India and a “sound relationship” between the two is in the fundamental interests of both countries and their people.
Qin, who is visiting New Delhi to attend the G20 foreign ministers meeting on Thursday, is expected to meet Jaishankar on its sidelines though the foreign ministry here is tight-lipped about it.
Termed a “fence-mending” visit to India by the Hong Kong-based South China Morning Post newspaper, this is Qin’s first visit to India after he took over the post from Wang Yi in December last and it is also his first meeting with Jaishankar. Significance is being attached to the Qin-Jaishankar’s meeting in light of progress made by the two countries in the 17 rounds of high-level military-level talks to resolve the eastern Ladakh standoff.
Details of Qin’s visit to India will be released in a “timely manner”, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning told reporters without confirming a meeting with Jaishankar.