Jaishankar reached China for the first time after the Galwan clash

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar reached China after five years and met Chinese Vice President Han Zheng in Beijing on Monday. During this, he talked about improving India-China relations and expressed confidence that this visit will further improve these relations.

After the 2020 clash in the Galwan Valley, tensions between the two countries were at their peak, but now new hopes are rising. Especially when 26 innocent people lost their lives in the recent Pahalgam terror attack and China's military support to Pakistan became a cause of concern for India.

Jaishankar met Han Zheng as soon as he reached Beijing after finishing his Singapore tour. He talked about supporting China's presidency in the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) on behalf of India.

In a post on X, Jaishankar wrote, "Glad to meet Vice President Han Zheng soon after arriving in Beijing. Expressed India's support for China's SCO chairmanship. Our relations have improved and I am sure that the talks of this visit will take it further."

India supports China's SCO chairmanship: Jaishankar

In a meeting with Han Zheng, Jaishankar said that the relationship has improved since the meeting of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan in October 2024.

He said, "India supports China's successful SCO chairmanship. Our relations are continuously improving. I am sure that the talks of this visit will further strengthen this positive path."

Jaishankar referred to 75 years of diplomatic relations between India and China and praised the resumption of Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. He said, "The resumption of the yatra has been greatly appreciated in India. Normalization of our relations can be beneficial for both the countries." Describing the current global situation as complex, Jaishankar said, "Today's international environment is very complicated. As neighbouring countries and big economies, open dialogue between India and China is very important."

He will also meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Monday. The two last met during the G20 meeting in Johannesburg in February, where mutual trust and support was discussed.

Jaishankar will attend the SCO Foreign Ministers' meeting in Tianjin on Tuesday. The Ministry of External Affairs said that he will also hold several bilateral meetings during this period. This visit is Jaishankar's first visit to China after five years, which is an attempt to reduce the bitterness in relations after the Galwan clash.