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India foreign minister’s China visit marks restart in relations amid capricious US trade policy

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Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar with Chinese Vice-President Han Zheng in Beijing on July 14.

PHOTO: S. JAISHANKAR/FACEBOOK

Summary

• Dr Jaishankars China visit, the first since the 2020 confrontation in the Galwan Valley, signals both countries aim to stabilise relations amidst global complexities, seeing opportunities for mutual benefit.
• Talks covered bilateral ties, with Dr Jaishankar conveying greetings to President Xi, and urging China to avoid trade barriers, seeking solutions to the unresolved border dispute.
• Despite ongoing irritants like border disputes and Chinas relationship with Pakistan, both nations recognise the need for stable ties, driven by economic and geopolitical factors.

AI generated

NEW DELHI/BEIJING – External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s first visit to China in nearly six years has highlighted New Delhi’s increasing appetite for improved ties with Beijing, marking an ongoing reset for the “dragon and elephant” amid the growing global uncertainty fuelled by US President Donald Trump’s trade and foreign policies.

A deadly border clash in 2020 in the Galwan valley along the disputed border in the Ladakh region had derailed Sino-Indian ties. It’s only since October 2024 that the two countries have started working towards stabilising ties, with the pace of the diplomatic engagement picking up.