External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar met Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday along with other Foreign Ministers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation. During the meeting, EAM Jaishankar updated Xi on the recent progress in relations between India and China.

He also conveyed the greetings of President Droupadi Murmu and Prime Minister Narendra Modi to Xi Jinping.

Jaishankar wrote on X, "Met President Xi Jinping this morning in Beijing with my fellow SCO Foreign Ministers. Presented the greetings of President Droupadi Murmu & Prime Minister @narendramodi. Informed President Xi of the recent development of our bilateral relationship. Appreciate the leadership of our leaders in that direction."

EAM Jaishankar is in China to take part in the SCO Foreign Ministers Meeting. On Monday, he held a meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, where they discussed the importance of a long-term view in building a steady and constructive relationship.

He posted on X, "Had in-depth conversations with Politburo Member and FM Wang Yi in Beijing this evening. Discussed the requirement of a visionary approach to bilateral relations and a stable & constructive relationship."

He further wrote, "Onus on us to tackle those related to the border, bringing about normalisation of people-to-people contacts and keeping away restrictive trade measures & roadblocks. Hope that on the basis of mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity, relations can progress on a positive track. Looking forward to participating at the SCO Foreign Ministers Meeting in Tianjin tomorrow. India is determined to work towards good outcomes and decisions."

On Monday, Jaishankar also met Chinese Vice President Han Zheng in Beijing and spoke about the recent improvement in India-China relations. He said he hoped that the talks held during his visit would help maintain that momentum. He also showed India's support for China’s SCO Presidency.

He posted on X, "Looking forward to meeting Vice President Han Zheng shortly after my arrival in Beijing today. Expressed India's backing of China's SCO Presidency. Observed the enhancement in our bilateral relations. And expressed hope that deliberations during my visit will see that discussions continue on that positive course."

Jaishankar reached China after completing his visit to Singapore. This is his first trip to China since the violent Galwan clash in 2020, which caused a serious breakdown in ties.

His visit follows earlier visits by Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, who had gone to China in June for SCO meetings. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi is expected to visit India next month to meet NSA Doval as part of a planned round of discussions under the Special Representatives mechanism, which aims to resolve the long-running border issue.

The 2020 clash in Galwan Valley was the most violent border incident between India and China in over forty years and caused deaths on both sides. It triggered a sharp rise in tensions and pushed bilateral relations to a very low point.

The decision to restart the Special Representatives talks and other suspended dialogue formats reportedly came after a short meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi on the sidelines of a summit held in Kazan, Russia, in October last year. One clear sign of progress is the return of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra after almost five years.