Jaishankar Meets Xi Jinping in First China Visit Since 2020 Border Tensions

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Tuesday met Chinese President Xi Jinping in Beijing, marking his first visit to China since the 2020 Galwan Valley clash strained bilateral ties.

Sharing a photo from the meeting, Jaishankar posted on X: “Apprised President Xi of the recent development of our bilateral ties. Value the guidance of our leaders in that regard.” He also conveyed greetings from President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The meeting took place alongside other Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) member-nation foreign ministers. Jaishankar’s trip comes amid ongoing efforts to stabilise India-China relations, which have seen incremental improvement since the October 2024 Modi-Xi meeting in Kazan.

Earlier during the visit, Jaishankar met Chinese Vice President Han Zheng and stressed the importance of open dialogue between the two Asian powers. “As neighbouring nations and major economies, an open exchange of views is essential,” he said.

The October 2024 breakthrough led to agreements for troop disengagement in Ladakh’s Depsang and Demchok—flashpoints in the three-year border standoff.

Jaishankar expressed optimism about maintaining the “positive trajectory” in ties, saying he expects his talks during the visit—including a scheduled meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi—to build on recent progress.

The China leg follows Jaishankar’s stop in Singapore, as part of his ongoing two-nation tour.