Menon First Top Ranking Indian Official to Visit China after Changes in Communist Party of China

Shiv Shankar Menon, the national security advisor as well as negotiator in the border talks with China paid the visit here on 2 December 2012. This was the first visit by any top ranking Indian official post changes announcement in Communist Party of China. Menon would meet the next premier of China- Li Keqiang.

China might look for diplomatic indicator from the Indian official suggesting that India would not join its forces with Philippines and Vietnam in the passport row which is started by China. Three countries protested against China when it embossed China’s map on those areas which are controlled as well as claimed by them on the passports.

China as well as India were working over to explore the positive signal in order to rise above the criticism that both these nations have already had 15 rounds of negotiations over border but all in vain without any significant improvements. In the meanwhile, the passport row by China has vitiated this situation.

The visit by Menon is very important, especially because China is preparing itself for change of guard with the premier as well as president being replaced in March 2013.