Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar to Visit China After Five Years Amid Efforts to Restore Bilateral Ties

Indian Foreign Minister Jaishankar to Visit China After Five Years Amid Efforts to Restore Bilateral Ties

New Delhi, July 11, 2025 — Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is set to visit China next weekend, marking his first visit to the country in five years. According to a Bloomberg report, the trip is part of ongoing efforts to normalize the tense relationship between the two nations following the deadly border clash in 2020.

Jaishankar will meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing for a bilateral discussion. He is also scheduled to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) Foreign Ministers’ meeting in Tianjin on July 14–15.

The planned one-on-one meeting between Jaishankar and Wang Yi ahead of the summit is being viewed as a significant signal of a renewed diplomatic push. The China-led SCO includes nine permanent member states, including India and Pakistan.

Topics expected to be discussed during the bilateral talks include:

• Export of rare earth minerals

• The issue of the Dalai Lama’s succession

• Recent India-Pakistan tensions

• Resumption of direct India-China flight services

This visit comes amid increased high-level diplomatic engagement between New Delhi and Beijing. Just last month, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh took part in the SCO Defence Ministers’ meeting in Qingdao.

It is also being speculated that Jaishankar's trip may be laying the groundwork for Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s potential attendance at the SCO Leaders’ Summit later this year. China’s ambassador had extended a “warm” invitation in April via Indian media, although New Delhi has yet to confirm Modi’s participation.

Bloomberg further reports that Wang Yi may visit India later this month to meet National Security Advisor Ajit Doval for discussions on the border situation.

The 2020 Galwan Valley clash, in which at least 20 Indian soldiers were killed, led to a sharp deterioration in bilateral diplomatic and economic ties. The number of Chinese casualties remains officially undisclosed. Since then, both countries have deployed thousands of troops, missiles, and fighter jets along their 3,488-kilometer disputed border.

However, relations began to thaw following a meeting between Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the BRICS Summit in Russia in October 2023. Since then, Jaishankar and Wang Yi have also met twice on the sidelines of the G20 summits in Rio de Janeiro and Johannesburg.

Despite these efforts, underlying tensions persist. India continues to enforce visa restrictions for Chinese nationals and maintains curbs on Chinese investment, while China’s export bans on critical minerals are affecting Indian industries.

In early July, China lodged a diplomatic protest after PM Modi extended birthday wishes to the Dalai Lama, further straining ties.

Additionally, during Defence Minister Rajnath Singh’s visit last month, India opted out of an SCO joint anti-terrorism declaration, citing disagreements over the language used in the statement.

This upcoming visit by Jaishankar is widely seen as a litmus test for whether both nations can move beyond symbolic gestures and make tangible progress in easing long-standing strategic tensions.