External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will be visiting Beijing on Sunday, his first trip to China since the Galwan Valley clashes. This visit is taking place as both India and China are seeking ways to reduce tensions and normalize their relations.
Jaishankar is scheduled to meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in a bilateral meeting. The last time the two leaders met was during the G20 summit in Johannesburg in February.
Apart from the bilateral meeting, Jaishankar will participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Foreign Ministers’ meeting, which will be held in Tianjin on July 15. The Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed his visit and has stated that Jaishankar will also have several bilateral meetings during the summit.
This visit comes at a time when India-China relations are strained. Previously, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval visited China for the SCO meeting. There are also plans for Wang Yi to visit India next month, potentially for special representative-level talks with Ajit Doval regarding the border dispute.
Despite diplomatic efforts, China’s recent trade policies have caused concern in India. China has halted the supply of essential items like rare earth magnets, fertilizers, and digging machines intended for the bullet train project in India. Additionally, India is concerned about China’s support for Pakistan, particularly during the recent clashes.
In June, India did not sign the SCO declaration because it did not address India’s concerns about terrorism. Specifically, it did not mention the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, but included references to incidents in Pakistan.
The SCO is a 10-nation Eurasian organization, which includes India, China, Russia, Pakistan, and Iran. Its 25th summit is proposed to be held in Tianjin later this year. India chaired the SCO in 2023, and Pakistan hosted the summit in 2024.
The 2020 Galwan clash was the deadliest on the India-China border in the last four decades, resulting in casualties on both sides. This conflict led to a significant deterioration in the relationship. However, after a meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping in Kazan, Russia, in October last year, both countries agreed to resume talks between special representatives.
A positive development is the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra after nearly five years. The participation of Prime Minister Modi in the upcoming SCO summit is not yet confirmed.