Beijing/New Delhi, July 15 – In a significant diplomatic development, Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar met with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing during his ongoing visit to China. This marks Jaishankar’s first visit to the country since the tense military standoff between India and China in 2020.
As per agency report, the meeting between the two leaders was focused on advancing the bilateral relationship between the neighboring Asian giants. Jaishankar conveyed greetings from President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Xi Jinping. Sharing details of the meeting on social media, Jaishankar said he briefed the Chinese President on recent progress in India-China relations and emphasized the importance of leadership guidance in managing and improving bilateral ties.
In addition to his meeting with President Xi, Jaishankar also held discussions with his counterparts from other Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) member states. Prior to his engagement with Xi, he met Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, during which he stressed the need for open and constructive exchanges between the two nations, especially as neighboring countries and major global economies.
Jaishankar expressed optimism about his visit, stating that he hoped the talks would proceed positively. The minister is also scheduled to hold bilateral discussions with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi during his stay in Beijing.
This high-level engagement follows a gradual thaw in India-China relations since 2024. Notably, during the Kazan Summit last year, Prime Minister Modi and President Xi held a face-to-face meeting, which paved the way for both countries to begin withdrawing troops from the contentious regions of Depsang and Demchok. These areas had been flashpoints for military confrontations since the 2020 standoff in eastern Ladakh.
Before arriving in China, Jaishankar had visited Singapore as part of his overseas tour. His current visit to Beijing is being closely watched for signs of further de-escalation and normalization of ties between the two regional powers.
