India’s External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, is set to travel to Beijing on Sunday. This visit is significant as it marks his first trip to China following the violent clashes in the Galwan Valley, an event that significantly strained relations between the two nations.
The primary objective of this visit is to ease tensions and work toward normalizing the relationship between India and China.
During his visit, Jaishankar will hold a bilateral meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi. This meeting follows their previous discussion during the G20 summit held in Johannesburg in February.
In addition to the bilateral discussions, Jaishankar will participate in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Foreign Ministers’ meeting scheduled for July 15 in Tianjin. The Ministry of External Affairs has confirmed his visit and indicated that he will hold several bilateral meetings on the sidelines of the summit.
This visit is happening at a time when India-China relations are at a low point. Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval have also visited China recently to attend the SCO meeting. Furthermore, a visit by Wang Yi to India is also anticipated next month, potentially involving discussions with Ajit Doval concerning the ongoing border dispute.
Despite the ongoing diplomatic efforts, India has expressed concerns regarding China’s recent trade practices. China has reportedly stopped supplying essential items like rare earth magnets, fertilizers, and digging machines for the bullet train project in India. Moreover, India is concerned about China’s support for Pakistan, particularly during the recent clashes.
In June, India chose not to endorse the SCO declaration due to the omission of its concerns regarding terrorism, specifically the April 22 terror attack in Pahalgam, Jammu & Kashmir, while including references to incidents in Pakistan.
The SCO is a 10-nation Eurasian organization that includes countries like India, China, Russia, Pakistan, and Iran. The 25th summit is planned for later this year in Tianjin, with India having chaired it in 2023 and Pakistan in 2024.
The Galwan clash in 2020 was the most deadly conflict on the India-China border in the past four decades, resulting in casualties on both sides and a drastic deterioration in the relationship. However, following a meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping in Kazan, Russia, in October last year, both sides agreed to resume talks between special representatives.
A positive development amid this situation has been the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra after nearly five years. The participation of Prime Minister Modi in the upcoming SCO summit is yet to be confirmed.
