China prepared on Monday to host representatives of 130 countries for a forum that will be overshadowed by the Israel-Gaza war, as an increasingly assertive Beijing is asked to help de-escalate the violence.
China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi arrived in Kabul on Thursday, a week before Beijing hosts a meeting of Afghanistan's neighbours to see how they can help the country following its takeover by the hardline Islamist group.
Ties between New Delhi and Beijing have been cold since the spring of 2020 when the incursion by PLA soldiers at various points in Ladakh also led to an unprecedented confrontation in the Galwan Valley.