Johannesburg, South Africa

Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval on Monday (July 24) made it clear to China that the “strategic trust” between the two nations had been eroded following the 2020 border conflict.

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His remarks came during a meeting with Chinese special representative Wang Yi on the sidelines of the Friends of BRICS meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa.

The prevailing tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the de-facto border between India and China, dominated the talks. The meeting came 10 days after Wang Yi met India’s Minister of External Affairs (MEA) S Jaishankar on the sidelines of the ASEAN summit in Indonesia’s Jakarta.

Press release by Indian MEA

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A press release issued by the Indian MEA after the meeting noted the Indian NSA conveyed that the situation on the Indo-China border “had eroded strategic trust and the public and political basis of the relationship”.

“NSA emphasised the importance of continuing efforts to fully resolve the situation and restore peace and tranquility in the border areas, so as to remove impediments to normalcy in bilateral relations. The two sides agreed that the India-China bilateral relationship is significant not only for the two countries but also for the region and world,” read the press release.

A meeting between Xi and Modi that never took place

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Interestingly, a readout released by the Chinese foreign ministry mentioned how Wang Yi reminded the Indian side of the consensus reached between Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the 2022 G20 summit held in Bali.

“President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi reached an important consensus on stabilising China-India relations in Bali,” the readout said.

Watch: Gravitas: India-China relations hit an all-time low. Here's why

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However, the Indian side has maintained that no such meeting ever took place between the two leaders and that only “courtesies were exchanged at the conclusion of the dinner.”

Doval raises concerns over spread of extremism

Doval and Wang had previously crossed paths during Wang's visit to New Delhi as foreign minister last year. Their most recent discussion through the Special Representatives mechanism occurred in December 2019.

During the 'Friends of BRICS' cybersecurity meeting, Doval reportedly emphasised the connections between cyber criminals and terrorists. 

Also read: India trashes Chinese EV maker BYD’s proposal to set up $1 billion plant

Official sources indicated that these linkages encompass various activities, such as using cyberspace for financing, money laundering, radicalising, facilitating lone wolf attacks, recruitment, and maintaining secure communications.

Doval also expressed concern about the susceptibility of the younger generation, who are tech-savvy but impressionable, to the spread of extremist ideologies through social media platforms. 

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