Who is He? That is the question on the minds of many in India—or at least it should be—in wake of the visit by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to India.
The Indian government is still figuring out what to make of Yi’s trip to Delhi after three years. During his latest sojourn, Yi told his Indian counterpart, S Jaishankar, to look at each other as "partners and opportunities”. But it isn't Yi Indian should be worrying about. The real challenge for India at present is to find out more about China’s economic Tsar, He Lifeng, who takes all the key decisions on economy and trade for his country.
India suffers an acute lack of understanding about who calls the shots in China when it comes to business and economy. The US knows and so do many other countries. It’s not Foreign Minister Wang Yi or his army of foreign ministry officials that decide on who the Chinese should do business with, but the powerful confidante of President Xi Jinping, Vice Premier He Lifeng, the key decision maker.