(LiveMint)
Defence minister Nirmala Sitharaman is to visit China next month, in a step aimed at stabilizing ties with Beijing—coming as it does after the 73-day Doklam standoff between the Asian giants last year. The visit was confirmed by Sitharaman on the sidelines of a conference in New Delhi. She said it could take place late April.This will be one of the highest-level exchanges between the two countries since the Doklam standoff last year.India has in recent weeks been looking at steps to bring its ties with China, rocked by the Doklam standoff, back on an even keel. The steps include a series of high-level visits.
The last visit by an Indian defence minister to China was in April 2016, when Manohar Parrikar visited Beijing. The visit had followed one by Chinese general Fan Changlong, vice-chairman of the powerful Central Military Commission to India in 2015. In the Chinese hierarchy, Fan is ranked higher than the Chinese defence minister. Prior to Parrikar’s visit, then Indian defence minister A.K. Antony had visited China in 2013.
