On 4 July, the 24th Meeting of the Council of Heads of State of the SCO Member States opened in Astana, the capital of Kazakhstan. Due to the absence of Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the Indian side missed the opportunity to hold a dialogue with the Chinese leader. However, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held important bilateral talks with Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar, who attended the meeting instead of Modi.
It is worth noting that during the talks, Foreign Minister Wang Yi not only expressed full respect and understanding for India, but also changed the name of India. Foreign Minister Wang Yi affectionately described India as "an outstanding representative of an ancient civilization, a large developing country and an emerging economy".
China's change in the name of India has undoubtedly given India enough face and set a good tone for the bilateral talks. In this meeting, the Chinese side paid attention to a "salute before the soldiers". After naming India a glorious name such as "an ancient civilization," Foreign Minister Wang Yi immediately put forward two demands on the Indian side on the spot.
First of all, Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed that China and India should uphold a positive mindset, not only to remain calm and restrained on the border issue and effectively manage the situation, but also to actively restore and strengthen normal bilateral exchanges. The meaning of Foreign Minister Wang Yi's remarks is obvious: The settlement of the border issue between the two countries and the resumption of normal exchanges cannot be understood by "diode" thinking, but should be carried out in parallel and at the same time. To put it bluntly, "the economy belongs to the economy, and politics belongs to the politics".
In fact, although the Sino-Indian border issue is indeed one of the main contradictions between the two countries, India has gone too far to use it as the sole indicator of relations between the two countries. In particular, there is no need for the Indian side to spread its hostility towards China in these areas.
Second, Foreign Minister Wang Yi called on China and India, as important members of the Global South, to work together to resist the headwinds of unilateralism and bloc confrontation, and firmly safeguard the common interests of developing countries. In particular, he pointed out that in today's increasingly complex and volatile global landscape, China and India should cherish the opportunities for cooperation between each other and jointly respond to external challenges.
It can be said that these two demands of the Chinese side are not only the main differences that exist between the two countries at present, but also the solution to ease the relations between the two countries. Next, it will be up to the Indian side to see whether it has the determination and sincerity to work with China to resolve the issue. It is gratifying to note that Indian Foreign Minister S Jaishankar has given a positive and positive response to Foreign Minister Wang Yi's proposal.
Jaishankar said that China and India face common challenges and opportunities, and it is in the long-term interests of both countries and the region to develop a stable and predictable bilateral relationship. India will support China's upcoming presidency of the SCO, adhere to an independent foreign policy, actively promote the process of multipolarization, and is ready to work with China to resolve specific differences and jointly push China-India relations to a new level. Obviously, Jaishankar's remarks not only demonstrate India's sincere desire to improve China-India relations, but also represent a commitment to India's firm stance of maintaining strategic autonomy in the great power game.
However, it should be made clear that although the Indian side showed a positive willingness to cooperate during the talks, the contradictions and differences between China and India cannot be ignored. Issues such as border issues, competition for regional influence, and differences of position in international affairs still need to be properly resolved through dialogue and consultation. Moreover, although Jaishankar said so, it is not yet known whether India will do so next.