China to supply fertilizer, rare-earths and tunnel machines supplies to India after yearlong halt

China has assured India that it will resume supplies of fertilizers, rare earth minerals, and tunnel boring machines (TBMs), ending a yearlong halt that had affected Indian agriculture and infrastructure projects. The commitment was conveyed by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his meeting with External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar in New Delhi on Monday.

Jaishankar raised India’s concerns over urea, NPK and DAP fertilizers, rare earth minerals used in sectors such as automobiles and electronics, and TBMs essential for road and urban infrastructure development. China currently accounts for nearly 30 percent of India’s fertilizer imports. Supplies of these items had been restricted over the past year, creating pressure on domestic industries.

The discussions also covered trade, pilgrimages, river data sharing, connectivity, border trade, and people-to-people contacts. Jaishankar reiterated that India’s position on Taiwan remained unchanged, stating that India maintains only economic and cultural ties while continuing its established policy approach. He emphasized that restrictive measures and roadblocks in trade should be avoided to strengthen bilateral cooperation.

Border issues were not taken up in this round of talks and are scheduled to be discussed separately by National Security Advisor Ajit Doval in the Special Representative-level dialogue with Wang Yi. The focus of those talks will be on de-escalation of forces along the 3,488 km Line of Actual Control (LAC), where both sides continue to maintain troops despite earlier disengagements in Ladakh.

The visit by Wang Yi takes place ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s upcoming trip to China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Tianjin on August 31. Wang Yi will also meet Prime Minister Modi later today to review bilateral ties in the context of regional and global developments.