Wang Yi

United States

guarded response from India

BEIJING: Chinese Foreign Ministeris visiting India on a three-day tour from August 12. Wang would try to make efforts aimed at ensuring that Prime Minister Narendra Modi do not join other countries in raising the controversial issue of South China Sea during the upcoming G20 meeting in early September.China is extremely worried that several countries including thewould raise the issue after an international tribunal rejecting Beijing's claims over ownership of much of the sea area recently. The ruling came after Philippines challenged Beijing's claim over much of the sea area at a tribunal constituted under the United Nations Convention of the Law of the Seas.Beijing was not pleased by thewhich said that the UN convention should be effectively implemented, and all the relevant parties should cooperate in the effort. It does not want a discussion on the subject at G20, and wants India to not to join any country which is seeking a discussion.China recently persuaded a meeting of ASEAN countries to keep the issue outside the joint communique but it is not sure of achieving a similar success at the G20 meet.The Prime Minister is expected to meet Chinese president Xi Jinping and US president Barack Obama on the sidelines of the meeting in the Chinese city of Hangzhou during his three-day visit from September 3.Wang is embarking on a three-nation tour that also includes Kenya and Uganda from August 9, the China's state media quoted foreign ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying as saying. He will also meet Minister of External Affiars Sushma Swaraj in New Delhi besides Kenyan foreign minister Amina Mohamed. One of Wang's tasks during the upcoming New Delhi visit is to prepare the ground for a successful Modi-Xi meeting.There have been a surge of problems in the India-China relationship in recent weeks. They included China's refusal to back India's case for membership of the Nuclear Suppliers Group, and recent reports of incursions by Chinese troops in the Ladakh border area.