External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will travel to China from July 13 to 15 to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in Tianjin, sources in the Ministry of External Affairs confirmed on Friday. His visit will begin in Beijing, where he is also expected to hold bilateral talks.

This marks Jaishankar’s first visit to China since the Galwan Valley clash in June 2020, which significantly strained bilateral ties. Though he has met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during multilateral events, this direct visit signals an effort to build on the diplomatic thaw initiated last year.

A key turning point came in October 2023 when Prime Minister Narendra Modi held a bilateral meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan during the BRICS Summit. PM Modi had emphasized that future India-China relations must be guided by mutual respect, trust, and sensitivity.

Following this, top Indian officials including NSA Ajit Doval, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh, and Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri have visited China to revive strategic dialogue and discuss border issues.

At last month’s SCO Security Council Secretaries’ meeting in Beijing, NSA Doval raised strong concerns about state-sponsored terrorism, referencing groups like LeT and JeM operating from Pakistan. He urged SCO nations to act decisively against UN-designated terror groups and avoid double standards.

Defence Minister Singh, in his meeting with Chinese counterpart Admiral Dong Jun in Qingdao, reiterated India’s commitment to peace at the border and stressed the importance of a structured roadmap for resolution. He also welcomed the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and noted 75 years of India-China diplomatic ties.

EAM Jaishankar’s visit is seen as a key step in continuing the cautious reset of India-China relations amid ongoing border tensions and regional concerns.