Wang Yi and Doval Meet in New Delhi as Ties Show Progress
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi met Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in New Delhi on Monday for talks that both sides described as “constructive and forward-looking,” marking the latest high-level engagement between the two Asian giants as they continue to rebuild ties following a prolonged military standoff.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the BRICS National Security Advisers’ Meeting, a two-day gathering being hosted by India under its current chairship of the bloc. According to Xinhua News, Wang Yi — who also serves as Director of the Office of the Central Foreign Affairs Commission — noted that “India is an important neighbour of China” and reviewed recent progress in bilateral relations.
Progress Towards Normalisation
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the two sides “reviewed recent developments in bilateral relations and noted progress towards gradual normalisation,” as reported by Hindustan Times. Doval “underlined that stable, predictable and constructive bilateral relations contribute to building trust and better understanding between the two sides,” Jaiswal added.
This was Wang Yi’s first visit to India in nearly a year. He had skipped a BRICS Foreign Ministers’ meeting hosted by India in May, as its timing clashed with US President Donald Trump’s visit to Beijing. His last visit to India was in August 2025, when he met Doval and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar for talks under the Special Representatives mechanism.
Strategic Consensus Reaffirmed
A detailed readout from the Chinese Foreign Ministry, covered by The Hindu, quoted Wang Yi as stating that “under the joint guidance of President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, China-India relations have gradually emerged from their low point and returned to a track of recovery and improvement.” Both leaders reaffirmed the strategic consensus that “China and India are partners, not rivals,” a principle established during Xi and Modi’s meetings in Kazan (October 2024) and Tianjin (August 2025).
Wang Yi called for both sides to “respect each other’s core interests, properly handle sensitive issues, place the China-India boundary issue in its appropriate position, and prevent it from affecting the overall situation of bilateral relations.” He also urged accelerating the resumption of stalled dialogue mechanisms across trade, finance, law enforcement, and media sectors.
Taiwan and BRICS Cooperation
Doval, according to the Chinese readout, reaffirmed India’s longstanding position on Taiwan, stating that “India was one of the earliest countries to recognise New China” and that “India’s position on the Taiwan question has not changed in any way.” This explicit reassurance addresses a key Chinese concern amid ongoing geopolitical tensions.
On BRICS cooperation, Wang Yi expressed China’s support for India’s role as BRICS chair in 2026 and called for advancing multipolarisation and safeguarding developing countries’ rights. The BRICS Summit is scheduled for September 2026 in India, with expectations that President Xi Jinping may attend.
Background: A Gradual Thaw
The meeting represents the latest step in a cautious normalisation process that began with the October 2024 disengagement agreement, which ended a four-year military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) following the deadly Galwan Valley clash of June 2020. Since then, both sides have taken incremental steps to rebuild trust, including resuming direct flights, reviving the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, and easing visa restrictions.
However, challenges remain. Most of the nearly 50 government-to-government dialogue mechanisms between the two countries remain stalled, and the deep-seated trust deficit from four years of military confrontation will take time to overcome.
What to Watch
Doval is expected to visit Beijing for the next round of Special Representatives talks, which will shed further light on the pace of normalisation. The September 2026 BRICS Summit in India will be a key test — Xi Jinping’s attendance, while anticipated, has not yet been confirmed. The speed at which stalled dialogue mechanisms are restored will signal the true depth of the ongoing rapprochement between the world’s two most populous nations.