Jaishankar Heads to China for SCO Meet Amid Signs of Thaw in India-China Ties

Hyderabad, July 13 (Maxim News): In a significant diplomatic development, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will embark on a three-day visit to China beginning Sunday to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Tianjin. This marks his first visit to China since the Galwan Valley clash in June 2020, which led to a severe deterioration in India-China relations.

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Although Jaishankar has engaged with his Chinese counterpart at multilateral forums in the past, this visit underscores a positive shift in bilateral engagement, building on recent high-level diplomatic exchanges.

Backdrop of Diplomatic Progress

The groundwork for this engagement was laid when Prime Minister Narendra Modi met Chinese President Xi Jinping during the BRICS Summit in Kazan in October 2023. This was the first delegation-level bilateral meeting between the two leaders in nearly five years. During their interaction, PM Modi reiterated that mutual trust, mutual respect, and mutual sensitivity must form the foundation of India-China relations if they are to move forward constructively.

Following that breakthrough, several senior Indian officials—including National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri—visited Beijing for further talks on border tensions, terrorism, and regional cooperation.

India’s Security Concerns Raised at SCO

Last month, at the 20th SCO Security Council Secretaries’ meeting in Beijing, NSA Ajit Doval strongly highlighted India’s concerns over terrorist threats posed by UN-designated groups like Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and Jaish-e-Mohammed (JeM), which operate from Pakistan, as well as global outfits like ISIS and Al-Qaeda. Referring to the recent Pahalgam terror attack and India’s Operation Sindoor, Doval urged SCO nations to act decisively and abandon double standards in the fight against terrorism.

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During that visit, Doval also met with Wang Yi, China’s Foreign Minister and a senior official in the Communist Party’s Politburo, where both sides discussed recent developments in bilateral ties and emphasized the need to enhance people-to-people connections alongside political and strategic dialogues.

Defence-Level Engagements

Meanwhile, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh held bilateral talks with Chinese Defence Minister Admiral Dong Jun in Qingdao during the SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting. Their discussions focused primarily on the need to maintain peace and stability along the India-China border, particularly the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Looking Ahead

Jaishankar’s visit is being seen as part of a broader effort to stabilize India-China ties, which have been strained over border disputes and growing strategic rivalry. The SCO platform offers both nations a rare opportunity for multilateral cooperation while managing their bilateral challenges. Analysts believe this visit could help pave the way for further de-escalation and improved coordination in regional affairs.

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