Doval in Beijing | Can India Trust China?| Inside the India China Thaw | Barkha Dutt
National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi convened the 23rd round of Special Representatives’ talks between India and China in Beijing, focusing on key issues such as maintaining peace along the LAC and the restoration of bilateral ties, which had been frozen for over four years due to the Ladakh standoff. Following the talks, Barkha Dutt engages with experts—Lt Gen Raj Shukla, Ambassador Dilip Sinha, journalist Suhasini Haider, and Dr. C Raja Mohan—to analyze the diplomatic and strategic implications of the ongoing India-China dialogue.
National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval’s visit to China for the 23rd round of Special Representatives (SR) talks marks a diplomatic thaw after a five-year hiatus. This follows the announcement of disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), but experts remain cautious about the outcome and China's true intent.
Veteran strategic experts joined Barkha Dutt on The Mojo Story to dissect the visit. General Raj Shukla stressed that India's deterrence must be rooted in military strength, warning that "diplomacy must ride on deterrence, not replace it." He noted a growing $400 billion military power gap with China and pushed for reforms in defense infrastructure and surveillance.
Ambassador Dilip Sinha highlighted that while some de-escalation has occurred, neither India nor China has claimed full restoration of the pre-2020 status quo. “China never even used the term de-escalation. This is not a reset, only a reprieve,” he cautioned.
Professor Raja Mohan called for a broader defense reform, asserting that India's policy must evolve beyond reactive diplomacy to tackle China’s aggressive posture.
Suhasini Haidar of The Hindu raised key concerns: “Why did China act in 2020, and what was the real outcome of 18 Modi-Xi meetings before Galwan?”
Conclusion Bottomline by Barkha Dutt:
“Valor has its limits. It needs to be funded,” General Shukla aptly concluded. As India re-engages, the lack of transparency and uneven preparedness could again leave the nation exposed.
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