Rare earth, LAC, Dalai, Pakistan could figure in India-China talks

New Delhi: India and China could discuss a range of contentious issues, including de-escalation in eastern Ladakh, rare earth magnet supplies to India, the Dalai Lama’s succession, the recent India-Pakistan conflict and the resumption of direct flights between the two countries when external affairs minister S Jaishankar meets his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Beijing this week.

On his maiden visit to China since the Galwan clash in June 2020, Jaishankar will also engage with Wang Yi to prepare for the PM’s possible visit to China for the SCO summit and meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in early September, it is learnt.

At the SCO foreign ministers’ meet, focus will be on India’s SCO formulation on terror and the Pahalgam attack, sources indicated. On the sidelines, Jaishankar could meet his counterparts from Iran and Russia, among others.

Chinese restriction on rare earth magnet supplies to India has sparked concerns here. China controls about 90% of the global supply, posing risks to supply chains worldwide. In April, China imposed tighter export controls on rare earth magnets-critical components for electric vehicles, wind turbines and electronics. The move resulted in a sharp drop in global shipments and rising uncertainty across supply chains.