'Stand ready to...': China's big statement on RIC revival talks with India, Russia

China on Thursday expressed its willingness to advance trilateral cooperation with India and Russia, calling the dormant Russia-India-China (RIC) format beneficial for all parties and for global stability.

"China-Russia-India cooperation benefits all three countries, and regional and global peace, security, stability and progress. China stands ready to maintain communication with Russia and India on advancing the trilateral cooperation,” China's foreign ministry spokesperson said.

The statement comes weeks after Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said he expected the RIC grouping to resume soon, following signs of thaw in India-China ties. 

But former foreign secretary Kanwal Sibal said Beijing must fundamentally change its policies toward India if the RIC format is to be revived.

"A major revision of Chinese policies towards India and India’s neighbourhood would be needed before the RIC trilateral format can be revived," Sibal said, adding, "If US unilateralism is a problem for Russia, India and China, India has a problem with China’s unilateralism in dealing with India and its regional interests."

Last month, Russian Foreign Minister Lavrov said he expects the resumption of the RIC trialogue soon, citing signs of improvement in ties between New Delhi and Beijing. The RIC grouping was conceptualised by former Russian Prime Minister Yevgeny Primakov in the 1990s.

At the June edition of the “Primakov Readings” in Moscow, Lavrov said: "It [RIC] has met several times over the past years. Our meetings have been on pause for a while, first, because of the pandemic and later because of the escalation on the India-China border. Reportedly, the situation is getting better, and we expect RIC to resume its work soon."

Lavrov also reiterated Russia's strong ties with both countries, describing India as a “particularly privileged strategic partner” and calling Russia-China relations a "factor of stability in the huge Eurasian landmass."

India-China relations strained after the deadly Galwan Valley clash in June 2020, which marked the first fatal confrontation between the two militaries in over four decades. The standoff in eastern Ladakh led to a deep freeze in diplomatic and military engagement, with both sides deploying additional troops and equipment along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). 

While disengagement from key friction points like Pangong Tso, Gogra, Demchok, and Depsang was eventually achieved through prolonged negotiations, mutual trust remains low. High-level dialogue continues, but India has repeatedly linked full normalisation of bilateral ties to peace and tranquillity along the border.