'Need To Address De-Escalation': What Are The Key Takeaways From Jaishankar's Visit To China?
The MEA said India and China agreed to take "additional practical steps", including travel and direct flight connectivity, for facilitating people-to-people exchanges
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Monday said India and China should build on 'good progress" in normalising bilateral ties so as to address border-related issues, including de-escalation, while it is essential to avoid 'restrictive trade measures and roadblocks".
During a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, Jaishankar said their discussion was 'constructive and forward looking". In New Delhi, the ministry of external affairs (MEA) said the two sides agreed to take 'additional practical steps", including travel to each other's country and direct flight connectivity, for facilitating people-to-people exchanges.
'Held detailed talks with Politburo Member and FM Wang Yi in Beijing this evening. Spoke about the need for a far-seeing approach to bilateral ties and building a stable & constructive relationship," Jaishankar said in a post on X. 'Incumbent on us to address aspects related to the border, normalizing people-to-people exchanges and avoiding restrictive trade measures & roadblocks."
Held detailed talks with Politburo Member and FM Wang Yi in Beijing this evening. Spoke about the need for a far-seeing approach to bilateral ties and building a stable & constructive relationship. Incumbent on us to address aspects related to the border, normalizing… pic.twitter.com/8zBRBoaKQE — Dr. S. Jaishankar (@DrSJaishankar) July 14, 2025
He added: 'Confident that on the foundation of mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity, ties can develop along a positive trajectory. Look forward to attending the SCO Foreign Ministers Meeting in Tianjin tomorrow. India is committed to ensuring good outcomes and decisions."
In the last nine months, India and China have been engaged in normalising their relations after ending the military face-off along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in October last year.
Though the two sides disengaged troops from the friction points, they are yet to de-escalate the situation by pulling back the frontline forces from the border. Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the LAC in the eastern Ladakh region.
Here are the key takeaways:
Jaishankar said India hopes 'zero tolerance for terrorism" will be upheld at the upcoming meeting of the SCO, noting that its primary mandate is to combat terrorism, separatism and extremism, comments seen as a reference to Pakistan's support to cross-border terrorism.
The MEA said he underlined the need for cooperation on trans-border rivers, including the resumption of the provision of hydrological data by the Chinese side.
He further held talks with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng and conveyed to him that continued normalisation of bilateral ties can lead to mutually beneficial outcomes.
In his remarks at the meeting with Wang, the minister underlined the need for avoiding 'restrictive trade measures and roadblocks", in an apparent reference to Beijing's approach on the export of critical minerals as well as issues relating to the supply of fertilisers.
He also repeated New Delhi's consistent position that India-China ties should be based on 'mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity". 'As neighbouring nations and major economies in the world today, there are various facets and dimensions of our ties. Measures towards normalising our people-to-people exchanges can certainly foster mutually beneficial cooperation," he said. 'It is also essential in this context that restrictive trade measures and roadblocks are avoided. I hope to discuss these issues in further detail."
(With PTI inputs)
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