Chinese President Xi Jinping arrived in New Delhi on Saturday for the 18th BRICS Summit, accompanied by two of the most influential figures in his political and foreign-policy establishment — Cai Qi and Wang Yi.
Wang Yi: Xi’s foreign policy point man
Cai, a member of the Standing Committee of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, is one of Xi’s closest confidants. Wang, China’s foreign minister, has been at the centre of Beijing’s foreign policy for more than a decade. As director of the General Office of the CPC Central Committee, he oversees a powerful party apparatus and plays a central role in Xi’s administration. Wang is currently a member of the Political Bureau of the CPC Central Committee, director of the Office of the Central Commission for Foreign Affairs and minister of foreign affairs.
At 70, Cai occupies a key position in the ruling party’s organisational and administrative machinery and is among Chinese President Xi Jinping’s closest political allies. Appointed foreign minister in 2013, Wang has remained a prominent figure in China’s engagement with the world and currently holds several key positions within the country’s political and foreign policy establishment.
Reuters has described Cai as Xi’s “de facto chief of staff” and one of the Chinese president’s closest confidants.
Their presence alongside Xi assumes significance as the Chinese president returns to India after seven years, at a time when New Delhi and Beijing are cautiously working to stabilise ties after years of tensions. The Chinese premiere is also expected to hold a bilateral meeting with Prime Minister Narendra Modi on the sidelines of the summit.
