Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj visits Beijing in balancing act

NEW DELHI: External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj will be in Beijing on Sunday to explore avenues of bilateral and multilateral cooperation, exactly a week after India’s joint declaration with the US on safeguard freedom of navigation and maintaining stability in the Asia-Pacific and Indian Ocean Regions.

In what could be described as a case of classic balancing act in diplomacy, Swaraj will not only meet her Chinese counterpart Wang Yi but also have an interaction with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov during her three-day stay in Beijing from February 1. The meetings with both Wang and Lavrov would enable follow up of Chinese and Russian Presidents visit to India last year when economic engagement with Beijing and defence and strategic partnership with Moscow topped the agenda respectively, according to official sources.

This is Swaraj’s maiden visit to China as the Foreign Minister.

Besides, the three Foreign Ministers will also meet for the 13th Russia-India-China Foreign Minister trilateral meeting. This meeting was originally scheduled last year but was postponed. Swaraj will “discuss bilateral, regional and global issues of concern to both sides” with Wang Yi, the MEA said in a statement. Swaraj will also inaugurate the ‘Visit India Year’ being organized by India.