NSA Ajit Doval plans China visit with tough message on terror

National security adviser ( NSA) Ajit Doval is planning a China trip next week, his second to the northern neighbour since December, with an eye on delivering a tough message on terror and discussing measures on stabilising bilateral ties.

While the occasion will be a meeting of NSAs in preparation for the early September Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit in China, Doval is expected to engage with his counterparts from China and Russia among others.

It is not yet known if Doval's Iranian counterpart will be part of the SCO meeting. The NSA could also meet his counterparts from Central Asian states who are members of the SCO.

All eyes will be on his meeting with the Chinese foreign minister and his counterpart as special representative, Wang Yi, in the backdrop of the India-Pakistan conflict and China's military support to Pakistan. Doval will deliver a strong message on cracking down against terror infrastructure and proxies, ET has learnt. Discussions could also focus on China's request for resumption of direct flights.

After Operation Sindoor, India delivered a strong message to China on cross-border terror infrastructure and Pakistan's complicity in the Pahalgam attack. Doval had spoken to Wang Yi within hours of cessation of hostilities. There are reports that Wang Yi could also visit India in the near future.

Ahead of Doval's trip, intense negotiations are ongoing on references to condemnation of the Pahalgam terror attack in the SCO NSA joint statement, ET has learnt. The SCO traditionally has a strong focus on countering terror and has a special anti-terror unit: the Regional Anti-Terrorist Structure or RATS.

While India has requested that the NSA meeting have references in the outcome statement condemning the Pahalgam terror attacks, Pakistan is pitching for inclusion of references to the Jafar express hijacking and an attack on a bus by Baloch rebels, ET has learnt.

The Pahalgam terror attacks and Jafar express incident cannot be compared, a source said, adding, India is unnecessarily being dragged into Pakistan's internal matters.

The SCO NSA meeting will also enable to firm up the security-related agenda of the SCO summit planned for early September.