Xi's India Visit After Seven Years 'Very Important Optics', Says Ex-Envoy
Former envoy to China Gautam Bambawale calls Xi Jinping's India visit significant optics, saying the BRICS bilateral can set the groundwork for mending ties.
Chinese President Xi Jinping's participation in a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi during his visit to India after seven years amounts to "very important optics", former ambassador to China Gautam Bambawale has said, describing the engagement as one that will guide officials and ministers on how to take the relationship forward.
The two leaders met on the sidelines of the BRICS summit. Following their engagement, Modi underlined that peace and tranquillity in the border areas are essential for the ties between the two countries.
Bambawale said the language used after the meeting — including references to a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable resolution of the boundary question — has featured in past statements and lays basic groundwork. He added that the leaders are likely to have offered guidance that has not appeared in public statements, which could become visible in the weeks and months ahead.
According to the former diplomat, the meeting may not produce immediate takeaways but will be followed by further discussions among officials, possibly at the ministerial level, which could yield results for the relationship.
He characterised the state of ties as improving but stressed that repair will be a long process requiring patience on both sides before the momentum seen in 2019 can be regained. That momentum, he noted, was halted by Chinese military actions in eastern Ladakh and Galwan.
Asked about the significance of the visit, Bambawale pointed to Xi's presence in Delhi after a seven-year gap, which he said existed because of the events in eastern Ladakh and Galwan, and called the optics very important.
He described the meeting as a few steps forward while cautioning that much ground remains to be covered. Recalling his earlier formulation, he said the relationship had moved ten steps back after Galwan and about three steps forward since 2024, with the latest meeting adding a couple more. The net position, he said, is still negative and well short of the level reached in 2019.
Bambawale also observed that both the United States and China are seeking to draw India toward their long-term strategic goals, which he said is among the reasons for Xi's presence in New Delhi. India, he added, will not take sides and will continue to work with both major powers while focusing domestically on building economic, military and technological strength.