External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday in Beijing, marking his first visit to China since the 2020 Galwan Valley clash that severely strained India-China relations.
Sharing an image from the meeting on social media platform X, Jaishankar said he apprised President Xi of recent bilateral developments and conveyed greetings from President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi. “Value the guidance of our leaders in that regard,” his post read.
The high-level interaction took place on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) ministerial gathering, where Jaishankar was accompanied by foreign ministers of other SCO member states.
Earlier in the day, Jaishankar also met Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, emphasizing the importance of open dialogue between two major neighbours and economies. “I look forward to such discussions during this visit,” he stated.
India-China ties have shown gradual improvement since October 2024, when Modi and Xi held talks during a summit in Kazan, leading to agreements on military disengagement in Depsang and Demchok, key flashpoints in Ladakh.
Jaishankar’s China trip is part of his two-nation tour, which included a prior stop in Singapore. He is also scheduled to hold bilateral talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his stay.
The visit is being closely watched as a potential turning point in restoring normalcy in India-China relations after years of military and diplomatic tensions.
