What to Expect from EAM Jaishankar's Upcoming Visit to China?

EAM Jaishankar's Significant Trip to China

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar is scheduled to visit China around July 13 to participate in a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), according to sources familiar with the situation.

This will mark Jaishankar's first trip to China since relations between the two nations deteriorated significantly following the military standoff in 2020 along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

The minister is expected to meet with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Beijing before heading to Tianjin for the SCO foreign ministers' conclave set for July 14 and 15, as per the sources.

Jaishankar's visit comes shortly after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's trip to Qingdao, China, where he attended the SCO defence ministers' conference.

Currently, China holds the chairmanship of the SCO and is hosting the group's meetings.

The military standoff in eastern Ladakh began in May 2020, culminating in a deadly clash in Galwan Valley in June of that year, which severely impacted bilateral relations.

The standoff effectively concluded with the disengagement process at the last two friction points, Demchok and Depsang, under an agreement reached on October 21.

In December, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval visited Beijing for discussions with Wang Yi as part of the Special Representatives (SR) dialogue concerning the boundary dispute.

Doval also traveled to China last month for a meeting of top security officials from SCO member countries.

The revival of the SR mechanism and other dialogue formats was agreed upon during a meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan on October 23.

This meeting occurred just two days after India and China solidified a disengagement agreement for Depsang and Demchok.

In recent months, both nations have taken steps to mend their bilateral relations.

Notably, last month, the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra was resumed after a hiatus of nearly five years.