External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar, currently on his first visit to China in five years, met with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng in Beijing on Monday. During the meeting, Jaishankar expressed optimism about the recent improvement in India-China bilateral ties and emphasized the importance of maintaining this positive momentum.
“Pleased to meet Vice President Han Zheng soon after my arrival in Beijing today. Conveyed India’s support for China’s SCO Presidency. Noted the improvement in our bilateral ties. And expressed confidence that discussions during my visit will maintain that positive trajectory,” Jaishankar posted on X (formerly Twitter).
In the bilateral discussions, Jaishankar reiterated New Delhi’s support for Beijing’s presidency of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). He noted that relations between the two countries have seen gradual progress since the meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping in Kazan, Russia, in October last year.
Highlighting areas of cooperation, Jaishankar mentioned the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, which has been well received in India. He stressed that continued normalisation of ties could yield mutually beneficial outcomes, especially given the complexity of the current international landscape.
“As neighbouring nations and major economies, an open exchange of views and perspectives between India and China is very important,” he added.
This is Jaishankar’s first visit to China since the deadly Galwan Valley clash in June 2020. His trip follows recent high-level visits by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, who were in China in June for SCO-related meetings.
Jaishankar is also scheduled to hold a bilateral meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, later on Monday. The two leaders last met in February on the sidelines of the G20 meeting in Johannesburg, South Africa, where both sides emphasized mutual trust and support.
The SCO foreign ministers’ meeting will take place in Tianjin on Tuesday. Meanwhile, Wang Yi is expected to visit India next month for talks with NSA Ajit Doval, as part of the ongoing dialogue under the Special Representatives mechanism aimed at resolving the long-standing border dispute.
