Jaishankar Likely To Visit China On 14-15 July For SCO Meet—First Trip Since 2020 Ladakh Standoff: Report

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar is likely to travel to Tianjin, China, next week to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Foreign Ministers' meeting on 14-15 July, the Indian Express reported, citing sources.

This would be his first visit to China since the India-China border standoff in eastern Ladakh began in May 2020.

The meeting, hosted by Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, will also see participation from counterparts from Pakistan, Iran, Russia, and other member states.

It is expected to lay the groundwork for the SCO Leaders’ Summit in Tianjin, slated for early September.

Jaishankar’s trip follows recent visits by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval for separate SCO meetings in China.

While the gatherings are multilateral in nature, they hold significance in the bilateral context.

India and China have been working towards restoring normalcy in bilateral relations.

However, tensions flared again following India’s Operation Sindoor against Pakistan.

Lt General Rahul R Singh, Deputy Chief of Army Staff, alleged that China provided “live inputs” to Pakistan and used the border region as a testing ground for its weapon systems, calling Beijing’s actions a strategic effort to “kill the adversary with a borrowed knife.”

However, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan later downplayed China’s involvement in aiding Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, stating that the extent of official state support was “very difficult to define".

The situation between India and China on the border areas remains sensitive.

Around 50,000 to 60,000 troops are still stationed on both sides of the Line of Actual Control.

During his June visit, Rajnath Singh told Chinese Defence Minister Admiral Dong Jun that there was need for “structured roadmap of permanent engagement and de-escalation” and a “permanent solution of border demarcation.”

However, trust remains low, and Singh refused to sign a joint SCO Defence Ministers’ statement after it omitted a reference to the April 22 terror attack in Jammu and Kashmir's Pahalgam.

Both countries had earlier agreed on resuming the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra and are discussing steps like easing visa restrictions.

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