Will India-China relations improve further after S Jaishankar meets Chinese President Xi Jinping?

S Jaishankar with Chinese President Xi Jinping in Tianjin

How much have India-China ties improved after Foreign Minister S Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the SCO foreign ministers’ meeting in Tianjin on Tuesday? Though it is clear that there is a thaw in Sino-India relations despite Beijing’s iron-clad support to Pakistan in the recent military clashes, how much have the ties improved? After meeting Xi Jinping, Jaishankar also met with X as he wrote on the social media platform, “Apprised President Xi of the recent development of our bilateral ties. Value the guidance of our leaders in that regard.” 

Thaw in India-China ties

This was the first visit of the Indian foreign minister to China since the Galwan clashes along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in June 2020. After Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Xi Jinping met on the sidelines of the BRICS Summit in Kazan in October 2024, the relations between the two sides improved as Beijing agreed to pull back its troops from the LAC along Ladakh. The trade relations continued to improve and the bilateral trade reached $127.7 billion in 2024-25. China enjoys a trade surplus of $99.2 billion. 

China supports Pakistan 

However, the bilateral relations showed tension, consequent to the four-day military clashes between India and Pakistan in May after the Pahalgam terror attack, in which 26 unarmed civilians were killed. Pakistan used China-made fighter jet JF-17, air-to-air missile PC-15, CH-4 drones and Chinese HQ-9 air defense systems. Besides, Beijing also shared intelligence input with Pakistan and provided it with live satellite images of the movement of Indian military assets like fighter jets and drones. Indian Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan downplayed it and said that such images can be bought from commercial companies. However, the damage was done as the Chinese intentions were clear. 

Dalai Lama irks China

China became angry over the 90th birthday celebration of Tibetan spiritual leader the Dalai Lama, the participation of an Indian minister and their comment on the possible incarnation of the Dalai Lama. Government-owned Chinese news outlet Global Times wrote, “Some Indian strategic circles have shown reluctance to make a clean break with the remnants of the ‘Tibetan independence’ exile forces, repeatedly testing China’s bottom lines and eroding the foundation of political mutual trust between the two countries.” It added further, “Some countries like the US have long sought to exploit gaps and drive wedges between China and India in an attempt to hinder their common development, adding another layer of disturbance to the relationship.”