Ajit Doval Meets Xi Jinping in Beijing Amid Border Standoff
Doval is in China to participate in the Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa (BRICS) NSAs meeting.
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National Security Adviser Ajit Doval met Chinese President Xi Jinping, on 28 July, along with other BRICS High Representatives. During the meeting in Beijing, chaired by Jinping, Doval and the NSAs of Brazil, Russia, China and South Africa discussed security issues relating to BRICS countries.
China currently holds the presidency of the BRICS and is due to hold 2017 summit of the five-member group in September at Xiamen city.
Xi, in his address to the BRICS NSAs, praised them for building a mutual trust and cooperation among the member nations.
In Friday's meetings, there were no hand shakes in front of the media between Chinese officials and the BRICS NSAs.
Doval, Yang Discuss “Major Problems”
Doval and his Chinese counterpart, Yang Jiechi, on 27 July discussed “major problems” in bilateral ties, the foreign ministry said after the first high-level meeting between India and China since the military standoff erupted in the Sikkim sector on 16 June.
The Chinese foreign ministry, in a brief readout on the Doval-Yang meeting, said Yang “elaborated China's position on bilateral issues and major problems”, which is being seen as an apparent reference to the standoff in the Doklam area.
China's state-run Xinhua news agency also reported that Yang met separately with Doval and his other counterparts from South Africa and Brazil.
Though there was no direct reference to the Sikkim standoff in the Xinhua report, it said the talks between Doval and Yang included bilateral relations, international and regional issues and multilateral affairs.
Ahead of Doval’s Meet, China Praises Modi’s Leadership
Ahead of Indian Doval’s visit, China on 27 July praised Prime Minister Narendra Modi's leadership and India's “open foreign economic policy”.
The commentary issued by China’s official news agency Xinhua comes as a surprise break from the sharp, critical rhetoric that the country has maintained over the Doklam standoff.
“India has been actively attracting foreign investment, has created a favourable investment climate and has been the largest destination for foreign direct investment in the world for the past two years,” the commentary said, adding that “strengthening of trade cooperation” between India and China and their “advocacy of open trade policy” would “definitely contribute to promoting open global trade and containing protectionism.”
India, China Locked in Standoff For More Than a Month
Though China had maintained that there won’t be a meaningful dialogue without the unconditional withdrawal of Indian troops, India has been maintaining that the unilateral action by China to build a road in the area was altering the status quo and had serious security implications for India.
India has also been pitching for diplomatic solution to resolve the standoff but sought simultaneous withdrawal of troops of both the sides from the tri-junction with Bhutan.
Chinese and Indian troops have been locked in a face-off in the trijunction area for more than a month since Indian troops stopped the Chinese army from building a road in the area.
China claimed it was constructing the road within its territory. India protested the construction, fearing it would allow China to cut India's access to its Northeastern states.
(With inputs from PTI.)
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