The visit to China by India’s external affairs minister, S. Jaishankar, marks an important shift in New Delhi’s relations with Beijing after months of gains in ties were tested in the aftermath of the Pahalgam terrorist attacks. Since Prime Minister Narendra Modi met the Chinese president, Xi Jinping — Mr Jaishankar met him yesterday — last October in Kazan, Russia, the two countries have tried to repair the damage caused to their ties by the 2020 clashes in Galwan. Mr Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, on multiple occasions on the margins of multilateral events, and the two armies have pulled back from hotspots along their contested, de facto border where they were locked in a tense standoff for four years. But China’s support for Pakistan in the May conflict with India, including through its positions at the United Nations, have in recent weeks added fresh strain to ties. In Beijing on Monday, however, Mr Jaishankar made it clear that New Delhi was looking to keep the relationship steady and that he was hopeful of more meetings with Mr Wang in India and China rather than only in third countries. While sections of the Indian Opposition have questioned Mr Jaishankar’s visit in light of Beijing’s stance after Pahalgam, in reality, the meeting in Beijing reflects much-needed maturity.
Mr Jaishankar made it clear in his talks with Mr Wang that India expected China to be sensitive to its core concerns, a coded reference to Pakistan and terrorism. He also emphasised New Delhi’s demand that the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation, whose meeting in Tianjin he also attended, condemn terrorism. India did not capitulate on its worries; instead, it reinforced its message to China. At the same time, by engaging with China, New Delhi is keeping its geopolitical options open on other issues at a time when the world is deeply fractured and is juggling multiple wars and threats. For instance, the United States of America is threatening to impose heavy sanctions on countries that purchase oil from Russia. Such a move would directly hit the interests of India and China, the two largest purchasers of Russian crude. If they tackle this threat together, they stand a better change of mitigating the risks they face. Both are also members of BRICS, and in that capacity have been threatened with extra tariffs by the US president, Donald Trump. India can disagree with China on some matters and yet work with it on others. It has no option but to do so.