China to host 3rd Trans-Himalaya co-op meet just 160 kms from Arunachal, Pak to attend

China will host the 3rd Trans-Himalaya Forum for International Cooperation meeting in Nyingchi, Tibet, close to Arunachal Pradesh this week, a move that may further complicate relations between New Delhi and Beijing. The distance between Nyingchi and Arunachal Pradesh is 160 kms.

Pakistan’s acting foreign minister Jalil Abbas Jilani will attend the meet in what may further complicate Sino-Indian ties after China’s refusal to give visas to Arunachal athletes for the Asian Games, media reports said.

“At the special invitation of the Foreign Minister of China, Wang Yi, Foreign Minister Jalil Abbas Jilani is visiting China to participate in the 3rd Trans-Himalaya Forum for International Cooperation, being held in Nyingchi, Tibet Autonomous Region, from 4-5 October 2023”, as per statement released by Pakistan foreign ministry.

The Trans-Himalaya Forum was initiated in 2018 to deepen practical cooperation among regional countries on diverse subjects including geographical connectivity, environmental protection, ecological preservation, and enhancing cultural linkages. The last in-person meeting of the Forum was held in 2019. The theme of this year’s Forum is “Ecological Civilization and Environmental Protection.”

During his stay in Tibet, Foreign Minister Jilani will address the opening ceremony of the Trans-Himalaya Forum. He will also meet with several regional dignitaries including the Deputy Prime Minister of Mongolia, Foreign Minister of China and Interim Foreign Minister of Afghanistan.

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