New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is scheduled to visit Beijing in the third week of July for a crucial bilateral meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, before attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers’ meet in Tianjin from July 14–15, according to sources familiar with the matter.
This will be Jaishankar’s first visit to China since the 2020 military standoff in eastern Ladakh, which pushed India-China ties to their lowest point in over six decades. While the two leaders have met on the sidelines of international summits, this visit marks the most significant bilateral engagement in China since last October’s tentative agreement to end the face-off.
Focus on Border Dispute and Normalisation
The bilateral talks in Beijing are expected to focus on:
- Further de-escalation and withdrawal of troops to peacetime positions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
- Steps to normalise relations, including trade, transport links, and people-to-people exchanges.
- A review of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra revival, which both sides have agreed to resume after a five-year halt.
Jaishankar is also expected to raise India’s concerns over China’s export restrictions on rare earth minerals, and the lack of access to Chinese markets for Indian businesses.
Backdrop of High-Level Visits
The visit comes after a string of high-level engagements between the two countries:
- NSA Ajit Doval visited China in December and June, attending SCO Security Council meetings and holding border talks with Wang Yi.
- Defence Minister Rajnath Singh travelled to Qingdao for the SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting, calling for a structured roadmap for de-escalation and a permanent border demarcation mechanism.
Tensions Within SCO
The upcoming SCO Council of Ministers of Foreign Affairs meeting will be closely monitored, especially on whether it can produce a joint communique. A previous SCO defence meeting failed to do so, with India refusing to endorse a statement after Pakistan objected to references to the Pahalgam terror attack.
On the sidelines, Jaishankar is also expected to hold bilateral discussions with foreign ministers of Russia and several Central Asian countries.
PM Modi’s Expected China Visit
This visit by Jaishankar also sets the stage for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s potential visit to China for the SCO Summit—his first since the 2020 standoff. Whether the summit becomes a turning point in India-China relations could depend heavily on the outcomes of these upcoming diplomatic engagements.