China Foreign Minister Wang Yi says China wants to deepen cooperation with India

The operative distinction is between atmospherics and substance: prior thaw attempts have tended to stall on the boundary question, which has historically been the binding constraint on any economic deepening. Actors matter here; Wang Yi has long been the channel for signalling shifts in tone before formal policy moves, so his phrasing is watched as a leading indicator of intent rather than a decision. Market transmission in comparable episodes has run through India-linked assets, the rupee and local equities, and through regional supply-chain narratives, though moves on commentary alone have generally faded without follow-through. Worth watching is whether the remarks are reciprocated by New Delhi, whether they accompany concrete steps such as resumed direct flights, visa easing, or trade working groups, and whether they arrive alongside any border de-escalation, which has been the tell in past cycles.