External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar emphasised the importance of fair market access, trade balance and supply chain reliability during his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Manila.

The meeting took place on the margins of ASEAN events and was seen as a significant step in the ongoing process of normalising bilateral ties.

Jaishankar welcomed recent measures that have contributed to this normalisation, including the upgrading of the visa framework, the resumption of direct flights, the restarting of the Kailash pilgrimage and the recommencement of border trade. These developments were highlighted as positive signals of progress in the relationship.

He reiterated that peace and tranquillity along the border remain a prerequisite for normal ties. He noted that since October 2024, when Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping met in Kazan, both sides have engaged consistently to ensure border stability. He stressed that relevant mechanisms in this domain must continue to receive full support and strong encouragement.

Ahead of the BRICS summit that India will host in September, Jaishankar expressed appreciation for China’s support for India’s presidency. While a final confirmation from Beijing is awaited, President Xi is expected to attend the summit, which would further underline the improving trajectory of ties.

India’s relations with China have improved considerably since the Kazan meeting, which marked the end of the border standoff in eastern Ladakh. However, Jaishankar underlined that addressing economic friction remains essential. He pointed to the asymmetrical $100 billion trade imbalance and the need for Indian manufacturing to reliably access Chinese raw materials as critical issues for broader normalisation.

According to official sources, India continues to raise concerns about trade restrictions imposed by Beijing. Efforts are underway to ensure predictability in supply chains and to align trade practices with international standards. Jaishankar emphasised that fair market access and trade balance rank high among India’s priorities, alongside facilitating both official and people-to-people exchanges.

He also stressed the need to agree on meetings of various mechanisms and platforms as per mutual priorities. In his opening remarks, he underscored the significance of the meeting in the context of an extremely complicated global situation.

EAM Jaishankar acknowledged that as two large and proximate nations, India and China will naturally have their own interests. He reiterated that differences should not be allowed to become disputes and that diplomacy must manage them responsibly.

He reaffirmed India’s position that the bilateral relationship must be built around the “3 mutuals” — mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity.

He added that a stable and cooperative relationship based on these principles could make a valuable contribution to a multi-polar Asia and a multi-polar world.

He recalled that relations have been gradually normalising since the Kazan meeting in October 2024 and that this trajectory was further affirmed when Modi and Xi met in Tianjin last year during the SCO summit.

Agencies