Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on two-day India visit from Monday: MEA
As per the MEA, EAM S Jaishankar will also hold a bilateral meeting with the Chinese Foreign Minister.
"At the invitation of National Security Advisor Shri Ajit Doval, Member of the Politburo of the Communist Party of China and Chinese Foreign Minister H.E. Mr. Wang Yi will visit India on 18-19 August 2025.
During his visit, he will hold the 24th round of the Special Representatives' (SR) Talks on the India-China boundary question with India's SR, NSA Shri Doval. EAM Dr. S. Jaishankar will hold a bilateral meeting with Mr. Wang Yi", the MEA said in the statement.
Wang's visit comes ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's trip to China to attend the annual Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit from August 31.
India and China have been working to improve their relationship in recent months, marked by several significant developments
.High-level talks between the two countries have resumed, including meetings between Foreign Minister Wang Yi and India's External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar. Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping are expected to meet at the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin, China, later this month.
Moreover, India and China have agreed to disengage and resume patrolling in the Depsang Plains and Demchok areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). This move aims to reduce tensions and restore peace along the border.
The Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, a significant pilgrimage route for Hindus, has restarted, symbolising renewed people-to-people connections and cultural diplomacy between the two nations.
India and China have resumed tourist visas after a five-year gap, and there's been a revival of business relations, with Indian diesel cargo being shipped to China for the first time in over three years.
Both countries are engaging in multilateral forums like BRICS, SCO, and G20, showcasing efforts to cooperate on global platforms despite bilateral tensions.
The development comes amid tariffs imposed on India by United States President Donald Trump for buying Russian oil.
China officially "welcomed" Prime Minister Modi for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit.
Addressing a press briefing in Beijing on Friday, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun expressed optimism that the gathering would strengthen regional cooperation.
"China welcomes Prime Minister Modi to China for the SCO Tianjin Summit. We believe that with the concerted effort of all parties, the Tianjin summit will be a gathering of solidarity, friendship and fruitful results, and the SCO will enter a new stage of high-quality development featuring greater solidarity, coordination, dynamism and productiveness," the Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson stated.
China will host the SCO Summit in Tianjin from August 31 to September 1 this year, and leaders of over 20 countries, including all member states of the SCO, and heads of 10 international organisations, will attend relevant events as per the Chinese Ministry spokesperson.
The Ministry of External Affairs has not yet issued a statement on the Prime Minister's visit.
Prime Minister Modi last visited China in 2018 on two occasions. First, during the month of April for the India-China Informal Summit at Wuhan, and later in June for the 18th meeting of the Council of Heads of State of SCO in Qingdao.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi last met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in October 2024 on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia.
During their meeting, both leaders welcomed the agreement on patrolling arrangements along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh.
They agreed that the Special Representatives would meet at an early date to oversee the management of peace and tranquillity in border areas and to explore a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the boundary question.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Times of Oman
8 hours ago
- Times of Oman
India's current account deficit likely to widen to 1.2% of GDP in FY26: Report
New Delhi: India's current account deficit is expected to nearly double in the Financial Year 2026, rising to 1.2 per cent of GDP from 0.6 per cent in FY25, Union Bank of India said in a report. The estimate carries an upward risk, driven by evolving trade dynamics and global commodity price movements. "We see an upward risk to our estimate for the current account (C/A) deficit for FY26 GDP. We expect higher; almost double versus last year of widening in C/A deficit in FY26 to 1.2 per cent in GDP vis-a-vis an 0.6 per cent in FY25," the report added. The report added that the geopolitical developments, including tariff concerns and potential trade agreements between India and the US or Europe, are expected to play a significant role in shaping trade dynamics. Oil prices remain a key factor, with estimates suggesting that every USD 10 per barrel move in oil prices could impact the annual current account balance by approximately USD 15 billion. Lower oil prices may provide support to the current account balance, given the high sensitivity, the report added. Union Bank of India's report added that despite the expected widening of the deficit, the overall current account position is expected to remain manageable. This is supported by a strong invisible surplus, driven by a robust services trade surplus of USD 188.75 billion in FY25. This compares against an oil import deficit of USD 122.45 billion for the same period. India's merchandise trade deficit widened sharply in Jul'25, reaching USD 27.35 billion in Jul of the current year, vis-a-vis USD 18.78 billion a month ago -- levels last seen in November 2024 -- driven by normalisation in imports post a temporary blip last month, even as the theme of frontloading of exports continued to persist. The pace of import growth, particularly in fossil fuels and capital goods, significantly outpaced export gains, resulting in an imbalance and rising concerns about the sustainability amid shifting global trade dynamics. In terms of sub-segments, trade dynamics in Jul'25 were broadly driven by widening across all three major components. The NONG (Non-Oil, Non-Gold) trade deficit saw the sharpest increase, rising to USD 12.28 billion from USD 7.83 billion in Jun'25. The oil trade deficit also expanded, reaching USD 11.24 billion compared to USD 9.19 billion the previous month. Meanwhile, the gold trade deficit nearly doubled, surging to USD 3.83 billion from USD 1.76 billion in Jun'25. Services trade surplus saw a slight MoM decline, after an upward revision to June's data. The Services trade surplus eased to USD 15.63 billion in Jul'25 vis-a-vis USD 16.21 billion last month, versus an average USD 15.88 billion in Apr-Jul'25, which was USD 13.59 billion in the same period last year.
Times of Oman
9 hours ago
- Times of Oman
India's forex reserves currently at $693.6 billion, inching towards fresh all-time high
Mumbai: India's foreign exchange reserves rose by USD 4.747 billion in the week that ended August 8 to USD 693.618 billion, driven by gains in both foreign currency assets and gold holdings, the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) said in its latest 'Weekly Statistical Supplement'. In the preceding week, India's foreign exchange reserves reported a sharp decline, slipping USD 9.32 billion. Still, the forex kitty is hovering close to its all-time high of USD 704.89 billion touched in September 2024. After the latest monetary policy review meeting, RBI Governor Sanjay Malhotra said the foreign exchange kitty was sufficient to meet 11 months of the country's imports. The latest RBI data showed that India's foreign currency assets (FCA), the largest component of foreign exchange reserves, stood at USD 583.979 billion. According to RBI data, the gold reserves currently amount to USD 86.160 billion. In 2023, India added around USD 58 billion to its foreign exchange reserves, contrasting with a cumulative decline of USD 71 billion in 2022. In 2024, the reserves rose by a little over USD 20 billion. So far in 2025, the forex kitty has cumulatively jumped by about USD 53 billion, data showed. Foreign exchange reserves, or FX reserves, are assets held by a nation's central bank or monetary authority, primarily in reserve currencies such as the US Dollar, with smaller portions in the Euro, Japanese Yen, and Pound Sterling. The RBI often intervenes by managing liquidity, including selling dollars, to prevent steep Rupee depreciation. The RBI strategically buys dollars when the Rupee is strong and sells when it weakens.
Times of Oman
11 hours ago
- Times of Oman
After energy, India now eyes self-reliance in fertilisers, reducing import dependence
New Delhi : Similar to the country's resolve for energy independence, Prime Minister Narendra Modi emphasised the need for India to achieve self-reliance in the fertilisers sector, while addressing the nation from the ramparts of the Red Fort this Independence Day. The Prime Minister observed that, at present, India remains dependent on imports for a significant portion of its fertiliser requirements. He urged the farming community to adopt judicious and scientific use of fertilisers to protect the health of the soil, cautioning against indiscriminate usage that causes long-term damage to "Mother Earth". Calling upon the youth, the industrial sector, and the private sector, the Prime Minister exhorted the nation to unite in efforts to build ample domestic reserves of fertilisers. He encouraged the discovery and development of innovative methods to meet the country's requirements through indigenous production. "Just like we are dependent on the world for energy, it is the misfortune of the country that we have to depend on the world for fertilisers as well. The farmers of my country can also serve Mother Earth by using fertilisers properly. We are causing a lot of harm to Mother Earth by using it indiscriminately. But at the same time, I want to tell the youth of the country, the industry of the country, the private sector of the country, let us fill the reserves of fertilizers, let us find new ways and prepare our own fertilisers as per the requirement of India, let us not depend on others," PM Modi said from the Red Fort. "The Government has reaffirmed its commitment to work in close coordination with industry stakeholders, research institutions, and state governments to bolster domestic capacity, promote sustainable farming practices, and reduce import dependency," the Ministry of Chemicals and Fertilizers said in a statement. Over the last decade, India's fertiliser industry has seen steady growth. The total fertiliser production has increased from 385.39 Lakh Metric Tonnes (LMT) in 2014-15 to 503.35LMT in 2023-24. Over the past six years, six new urea plants have become operational across the country. India's total annual consumption of fertiliser in 2023-24 was around 601 LMT. About 503 LMT was produced domestically in India, while 177 LMT came through imports.
