Jaishankar in China today. Why EAM's first visit after 2020 Galwan clashes is crucial

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar will arrive in China today, to attend the foreign ministers' meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO). Jaishankar is visiting China for the first time in five years after a military standoff in 2020 along the Line of Actual Control.

 

According to the Ministry of External Affairs, Jaishankar will attend the SCO Council of Foreign Ministers’ Meeting (CFM) in Tianjin on Tuesday. The external affairs minister will also hold bilateral meetings with the Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the conclave.

 

Jaishankar's visit comes amid strained relations with China over various issues, including Beijing's military support for Pakistan during Operation Sindoor and the Tibet issue. Notably, during the recent conclave of defence ministers of the SCO, Indian Defence Minister Rajnath Singh skipped signing the joint statement as there was no mention about the Pahalgam terror attack. Pakistan's defence minister had also attended the meeting.

 

 On Galwan standoff, over the years, both India and China have been able to disengage troops from many areas along the LAC through talks. Both nations completed the disengagement of troops from the last of the two face-off sites in October last year.

 

Jaishankar's visit also comes after China raised objections regarding the "reincarnation of the Dalai Lama". On Sunday, a Chinese embassy spokesperson expressed objection to India's stand on the "reincarnation" of the Dalai Lama. 

 

 Chinese embassy spokesperson Yu Jing said that members of the strategic and academic communities, including former officials, had made "improper remarks" regarding the reincarnation of the Dalai Lama "contrary" to Indian government's public stance. Jing said Tibet-related issues, including reincarnation of the Dalai Lama, are a "thorn" in India-China bilateral relations.

 

"They should be fully cognizant of the sensitivity of issues related to Xizang, and that the reincarnation and succession of the Dalai Lama is inherently an internal affair of China, brooking no interference of any external forces," Yu said.

India