Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Tuesday, 28 July met Li Wentang, Vice President of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Party School (also known as the National Academy of Governance) in Beijing, exploring avenues for academic cooperation and institutional exchanges between the two countries. The meeting is part of Misri's multi-day official visit to China, which has included a series of high-level engagements aimed at resetting the bilateral relationship.

Academic Cooperation on the Table

During the meeting with Li Wentang, Misri was briefed on the historical significance of the Central Party School, its intellectual contributions, and its academic programmes. According to the Indian Embassy in China, the two sides 'discussed opportunities for future cooperation and exchanges.' The Central Party School is China's premier institution for training senior Communist Party officials and shaping policy thinking — making any prospective academic linkage with India diplomatically significant.

Bilateral Ties Reviewed with Vice Minister Hua Chunying

On Monday, Misri held a separate meeting with Hua Chunying, Vice Minister of Foreign Affairs of China, during which the two sides conducted a comprehensive review of bilateral relations. The Indian Embassy stated that they 'discussed means of advancing the vision of the two leaders that India and China are partners and development opportunities for each other, including through mutually beneficial outcomes across trade and economic ties, culture, and people-to-people exchanges.' Critically, both sides 'acknowledged the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas' — a signal that the post-Galwan normalisation process remains a live priority.

Political and People-to-People Exchanges Discussed

Misri also met Hong Liang, Deputy Secretary General of the 14th National Committee of the Chinese People's Political Consultative Conference (CPPCC), to discuss ways to strengthen bilateral exchanges at both the political and people-to-people levels. The CPPCC is China's top political advisory body, and engagement at this level underscores the breadth of Misri's outreach during the visit.

Visit Opened with CPC International Department Meeting

Misri commenced his official engagements in China with a meeting with Sun Haiyan, Vice Minister of the International Department of the CPC Central Committee. According to the Indian Embassy, they 'discussed ways to deepen implementation of the guidance of the leaders for bilateral relations, including addressing issues of priority to both sides and by promoting political, people-to-people, academic and think-tank exchanges.' The reference to 'guidance of the leaders' points to the framework set by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping for steering the relationship forward.

What This Visit Signals

Misri's Beijing trip — spanning foreign ministry officials, party school leadership, and advisory body representatives — reflects a deliberate, multi-track diplomatic effort to rebuild engagement across institutional layers. This comes amid a broader thaw in India-China relations following the disengagement of troops at friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in late 2024. The emphasis on academic, think-tank, and people-to-people exchanges suggests both sides are looking to rebuild the soft-power scaffolding of the relationship, not just manage security concerns. The next phase will test whether these conversations translate into concrete institutional agreements.