New Delhi: On his first visit to China in five years, external affairs minister S. Jaishankar on Monday (July 14) raised India’s concerns about “restrictive” trade practices and underscored the need for de-escalation at the border, even as he described relations as having made “good progress” towards normalisation.Jaishankar arrived in Beijing to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) foreign ministers’ meeting, with several bilateral engagements on the sidelines.His first official interaction was a delegation-level meeting with Chinese Vice President Han Zheng, followed by talks with foreign minister Wang Yi.In his opening remarks to Wang, Jaishankar said that recent progress over the past nine months had been premised on the resolution of border tensions and maintaining peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control. He noted that the “fundamental basis” for the smooth development of bilateral ties remains peace on the border.“It is now incumbent on us to address other aspects related to the border, including de-escalation,” he said.The October 2024 meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping in Kazan marked the resumption of high-level dialogue after more than four years of strained relations following the military incursions of 2020 and the deadly Galwan Valley clash.Jaishankar also welcomed the resumption of the Kailash Mansarovar Yatra after a five-year hiatus and thanked the Chinese side for facilitating the pilgrimage. The route had been suspended since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and the start of the border crisis, with the first batch of pilgrims resuming the journey last month.Both sides “agreed to take additional practical steps, including travel to each other’s country and direct flight connectivity, for facilitating people-to-people exchanges”, per the Indian readout. Beijing has consistently lobbied New Delhi to resume direct flights between China and India, which were also suspended in 2020.He also raised concerns about growing trade barriers, saying that “restrictive trade measures and roadblocks” should be avoided. In FY 2024-25, India’s trade deficit with China rose to a record $99.2 billion, driven by a 14.4% drop in exports and an 11.5% increase in imports.The economic backdrop to Jaishankar’s remarks includes heightened global trade tensions, with the US imposing tariffs on China, and India currently being in the middle of negotiations over similar issues.He reiterated that the India-China relationship must be managed on the basis of “mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity”, and recalled the earlier agreement that “differences should not become disputes, nor should competition ever become conflict”.Referring to the main foreign ministers’ meet scheduled for Tuesday, Jaishankar said that in light of the SCO’s “primary mandate” being combating the “shared concern[s]” of “terrorism, separatism and extremism”, India hoped that “zero tolerance for terrorism will be strongly upheld”.Last month, India during the SCO defence ministers’ meeting blocked the release of a joint statement on the grounds that it did not explicitly address its concerns on ‘cross-border terrorism’ sponsored by Pakistan.Earlier in the day, Jaishankar and Han discussed the trajectory of ties since the Kazan summit. According to the Chinese readout, India conveyed its willingness to follow the leaders’ consensus and maintain the current diplomatic momentum.Han welcomed the positive developments since the Kazan meeting, which he described as marking the “restart” of China-India relations. Noting the two countries’ roles as major developing economies and key members of the Global South, he described the partnership as essential for achieving “mutual achievements”.He added that “dancing with dragons and elephants” was the right choice for both sides, and called for further implementation of the consensus reached by their leaders.“The two sides must further … adhere to high-level leadership, steadily advance practical cooperation, respect each other’s concerns and promote the sustained, healthy and stable development of China-India relations,” said the Chinese foreign ministry readout.Jaishankar noted the “very complex” international environment and stressed the importance of open communication between the two neighbours. He also expressed India’s support for China’s presidency of the SCO. Modi is expected to attend the SCO leaders’ summit in China later this year.Since the resolution of the military standoff in October 2024, both sides have engaged more frequently at high levels. While recent statements suggest both New Delhi and Beijing are looking to stabilise relations, core differences persist.These underlying tensions were highlighted in the aftermath of the four-day military clash between India and Pakistan earlier this year, when Indian military officials alleged that China had provided real-time defence support to Pakistan during the conflict.Verbal rhetoric, especially from China, has also flared up over the question of the Dalai Lama’s succession. After the Tibetan spiritual leader indicated plans to identify his successor, Beijing asserted that any reincarnation would require its approval. An Indian minister initially voiced support for the Dalai Lama’s stance before backtracking, calling it a personal opinion. The Indian government later said it had “no position” on the matter.Despite the clarification, the issue continued to draw attention in Indian public discourse. On Sunday, Chinese embassy spokesperson Yu Jing responded sharply, calling Tibet “a thorn in China-India relations and a burden for India”. In a post on X, she warned that “playing the ‘Xizang [Tibet] card’ will definitely end up shooting oneself in the foot.”This story was updated with more information at 8:06 pm.