In key move for India, China elevates Foreign Minister Qin Gang to State Councillor rank

The National People’s Congress (NPC), the Chinese Parliament, on Sunday elevated the status of Foreign Minister Qin Gang to the rank of State Councillor, putting him next in line for the post of China’s Special Representative for India-China boundary talks, a high-level mechanism to discuss the boundary issue and improvement of ties between the two countries.

The 56-year-old was appointed as the Foreign Minister in December replacing Wang Yi.

At that time, Yi was elected to the Political Bureau of the ruling Communist Party of China (CPC)—a key policy body of the party.

The appointment of Qi Gang will be closely watched by India as he is the next in line to become the Special Representative (SR) of the India-China boundary mechanism that was formed in 2003.

The India-China boundary body has emerged as the key platform for both nuclear-power countries over the years to resolve longstanding boundary disputes and steps to improve relations.

China: Li Shangfu to be new Defence Minister; newly-elected Li Qiang sets tone for his term

Qin, a former ambassador of China to the US, is considered close to President Xi Jinping. Early this month, he visited New Delhi to attend the G20 Foreign Ministers’ meeting during which he held talks with India’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.

Also read | China’s parliament names US-sanctioned Gen Li Shangfu as defence minister

Ties between India and China have deteriorated ever since the stand-off between them in Ladakh in May 2020. At that time, both nations’ personnel clashed with each other in the Galwan Valley that resulted in the deaths of 17 Indian soldiers and still unspecified casualties on the Chinese side.

So far, 17 rounds of high-level military commanders' talks have taken place to resolve the standoff.

India has been asserting that its ties with China cannot return to normalcy unless peace prevails in the border areas.

(With inputs from agencies)

WATCH WION LIVE HERE