Chinese FM meets Doval, Jaishankar in Delhi

New Delhi, March 25: Just a day after his trip to Kabul, visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Friday met National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar here. Wang first met Doval at the latter's office in South Block, after which he and Jaishankar proceeded to hold delegation-level talks.

The Chinese Minister arrived in Delhi from Kabul around 8 p.m. on Thursday and according to sources, trade and the pending border dispute in Ladakh will feature in the talks. This is the first visit by a high-level Chinese diplomat to India since the border dispute between the two nations erupted over two years ago.

So far, 15 rounds of military talks have taken place to resolve the issue. Wang's visit to Delhi is part of his South Asia tour, which took him to Kabul and Pakistan where he raked up the Jammu and Kashmir issue. During the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation meeting in Islamabad, Wang had said: "On Kashmir, we have heard again today the calls of many of our Islamic friends. And China shares the same hope."

India however, rejected the "uncalled reference" to Kashmir. "Matters related to the Union Territory of Jammu and Kashmir are entirely the internal affairs of India. Other countries including China have no locus standi to comment. They should note that India refrains from public judgement of their internal issues," Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Wednesday. After Delhi, Wang will travel to Nepal from Friday through Sunday.