Jaishankar in Beijing: India-China Ties Improving, Calls for Further Normalisation

Last Updated Jul - 14 - 2025, 05:16 PM | Source : Fela News

During his visit to Beijing for the SCO meeting, EAM S. Jaishankar said India-China relations are steadily improving and stressed that continued normalisation c

Jaishankar in Beijing: India-China Ties Improving

External affairs minister S. Jaishankar, during his visit to Beijing on Monday, emphasized that further normalisation of India-China ties could lead to shared gains. He made these remarks in a meeting with Chinese vice president Han Zheng, just after arriving in China for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers’ meeting. This marks Jaishankar’s first visit to China since the 2020 border clashes strained bilateral relations.

Jaishankar stated that India-China relations have been "steadily improving" since Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping met in Kazan, Russia, in October last year. “Continued normalisation of our ties can produce mutually beneficial outcomes,” he said, adding that this trip aims to maintain the positive momentum in bilateral relations.

The two nations reached a consensus last October to resolve their prolonged military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh. Shortly afterward, Modi and Xi agreed to restart various diplomatic mechanisms to address the ongoing border issues and stabilize the broader relationship. Since then, there have been high-level talks involving foreign ministers, defence ministers, and national security advisers.

Jaishankar also highlighted the 75th anniversary of diplomatic relations between India and China and appreciated the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra — a pilgrimage in Tibet — after a five-year pause. He stressed that in today’s complicated global environment, open communication between two major economies and neighbours like India and China is essential.

He also extended India’s support for China’s current presidency of the SCO.

After concluding bilateral meetings in Beijing, Jaishankar is expected to attend the SCO foreign ministers' meeting in Tianjin. He arrived from Singapore, where he held discussions with its top leadership to review India-Singapore ties.

India-China relations had hit their lowest point in decades following deadly clashes in Galwan Valley in June 2020, which left 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops dead. The two sides are now making efforts to rebuild trust and diplomatic engagement.

Ahead of Jaishankar’s arrival, a spokesperson from the Chinese embassy in New Delhi remarked that Tibet-related issues, including the future reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, remain sensitive and contentious in the relationship. These comments followed the Dalai Lama’s statement asserting that only a trust established by him can determine his successor.