BEIJING– External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said Monday that relations between India and China have been gradually improving since the October 2024 meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan.
“Our bilateral relationship requires a long-term perspective. Since our leaders met in Kazan in October 2024, the India-China relationship has been steadily moving in a positive direction. It is our responsibility to maintain that momentum,” Jaishankar said during opening remarks at a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
He noted that the two countries have made significant progress over the past nine months in normalizing relations, attributing this to the resolution of border frictions and efforts to maintain peace and stability along the Line of Actual Control.
“This progress is foundational for building mutual strategic trust and for the smooth development of bilateral ties,” he added. “We must now focus on addressing remaining issues related to the border, including de-escalation.”
Jaishankar’s visit to China marks his first since the deadly Galwan Valley clash in May 2020. He is in the country to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers’ Meeting, taking place in Tianjin.
Congratulating China on a successful SCO presidency, Jaishankar emphasized that the two countries have had multiple opportunities to engage at international forums and deepen strategic dialogue in recent months.
“We’ll be meeting again tomorrow, and India is committed to ensuring productive outcomes and decisions,” he said, expressing hope for more regular high-level bilateral exchanges in both countries.
He also thanked the Chinese government for its cooperation in resuming the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra, which had been suspended for five years.
“As neighboring nations and major global economies, there are many dimensions to our relationship,” Jaishankar stated. “Normalizing people-to-people exchanges will foster mutually beneficial cooperation. To that end, it’s essential to avoid restrictive trade practices and other barriers. I look forward to discussing these issues in greater detail.”
Highlighting that India and China are commemorating the 75th anniversary of diplomatic ties this year, Jaishankar said stable and constructive relations between the two nations would benefit the entire world.
“This is best achieved through mutual respect, shared interests, and sensitivity to each other’s concerns. We’ve previously agreed that differences should not turn into disputes, and competition must not lead to conflict. Based on this understanding, we can continue developing our relationship along a positive trajectory,” he said.
During Monday’s meeting, the two sides will exchange views on global and regional developments, followed by multilateral discussions at the SCO forum on Tuesday.
Looking ahead to a “constructive and forward-looking exchange,” Jaishankar reaffirmed India’s commitment to the SCO’s core mandate.
“The SCO’s primary focus is to combat terrorism, separatism, and extremism. This is a shared concern, and India strongly believes in upholding a policy of zero tolerance toward terrorism,” he concluded. (Source: IANS)
