Jaishankar attends SCO conclave, first China visit since Galwan standoff
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Tuesday, alongside foreign ministers from other Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member states. The high-level engagement marked a key moment in India-China diplomatic interactions, as it was Jaishankar’s first visit to China since bilateral ties deteriorated following the Galwan Valley clash in 2020.
In a social media post, Jaishankar shared that he conveyed greetings from President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to the Chinese leader. He also informed President Xi of recent developments in the bilateral relationship and acknowledged the importance of leadership guidance in managing ties between the two nations.
Strategic talks held with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi
Before the meeting with President Xi, Jaishankar held in-depth discussions with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing. The ministers addressed key issues, including border management, trade normalization, and strengthening people-to-people ties. Jaishankar emphasized the need for a “far-seeing approach” and highlighted mutual respect, sensitivity, and interest as guiding principles for positive relations.
“Confident that on the foundation of mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity, ties can develop along a positive trajectory,” Jaishankar posted on X.
Focus on border and trade issues
The External Affairs Minister acknowledged challenges related to the border, restrictive trade policies, and the need to revive people-to-people exchanges. He expressed optimism about resolving ongoing issues through structured dialogue and reaffirmed India’s commitment to contributing positively to the SCO Summit in Tianjin.
Engagements with Chinese leadership
In addition to meeting Wang Yi, Jaishankar also called on Chinese Vice President Han Zheng and noted progress in diplomatic engagements. He reiterated India’s support for China’s presidency of the SCO.
This visit follows recent trips by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and NSA Ajit Doval, who also attended SCO-related meetings in China. Wang Yi is expected to visit India next month to meet with NSA Doval under the Special Representatives (SR) mechanism, revived to address long-standing border issues.
First visit since the Galwan clash in 2020
This is Jaishankar’s first official visit to Beijing since the deadly border confrontation in Galwan Valley in June 2020, which marked the worst India-China military clash in over four decades. The revival of the SR dialogue and other diplomatic channels follows a brief exchange between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi during a summit in Kazan, Russia, last year.
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