In a major diplomatic breakthrough, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing on Tuesday, marking a potential turning point in India-China relations after years of military tension and diplomatic chill. The meeting was Jaishankar‘s first visit to China in six years and came on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers‘ meet.
Along with other SCO foreign ministers, Jaishankar conveyed greetings from President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to President Xi and briefed him on recent encouraging developments in bilateral relations. “We appreciate the leadership of our leaders in developing ties,” Jaishankar subsequently tweeted on X (formerly Twitter).
During his one-on-one meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, Jaishankar informed that both nations had made “good progress“ in easing tensions on the Line of Actual Control in the last nine months. He emphasized de-escalation and asserted that future encounters must be guided by mutual respect, honor, and sensitivity.
This is the foundation of mutual strategic trust. We have agreed that differences should never become disputes and competition should never become conflict,” he said.
While Jaishankar welcomed the relaxation of border tension, he also spoke about several important issues. He noted that Chinese restrictions on exports were posing obstacles to Indian industry and called upon Beijing to remove “restrictive trade measures.” He also called for the recommencement of direct flights, streamlined visa procedures, and increased people-to-people interaction, which have been affected in recent times.
On the SCO platform, Jaishankar did not mince his words when it came to tackling terrorism. He stated the organisation‘s initial mandate should be unyielding: to combat terrorism, extremism, and separatism. “India looks to a zero-tolerance policy on terrorism, and we would like all SCO members to do so,” he stated, refraining from naming Pakistan specifically or any nation.
He also raised the issue of cooperation on cross-border rivers, requesting China to resume provision of hydrological information to India something that has always been a thorny topic. In a heartening development, he welcomed China‘s announcement to resume the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, a holy Hindu pilgrimage, which had been stopped for five years.
This visit is a follow-up to a significant diplomatic breakthrough in October 2023 when both sides concluded their military standoff in Eastern Ladakh. This settlement paved the way for PM Modi and President Xi to meet subsequently in the second half of the year on the margins of the BRICS summit in Kazan, resuming high-level diplomatic contact.
Given that PM Modi is likely to travel to China once again in September 2025 for the next SCO summit, Jaishankar‘s trip to Beijing is being interpreted as laying groundwork for greater engagement, not only for regional peace but also for bilateral economic gain.
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