Zhang met Joint Secretary (China) Gautam Bambawale and is understood to have discussed the issue, sources said.
China has denied permission to Lt Gen B S Jaswal, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief of Udhampur-based Northern Command, saying he came from "sensitive location of Jammu and Kashmir" and that "people from this part of the world come with a different kind of visa", the sources said.
This has led to a strong reaction from India which has put on hold defence exchanges.