नवीनतम
India-China relations have progressed: S Jaishankar in LS
NEW DELHI [Maha Media]: India remains committed to engaging with China to arrive at a fair and mutually acceptable framework for boundary settlement, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Tuesday, noting that India-China relations cannot be normal in the absence of a clearly articulated approach.
Making a statement in the Lok Sabha, the minister said India-China ties have been abnormal since 2020 when peace and tranquillity in border areas were disturbed due to Chinese actions.
"The amassing of troops by China in eastern Ladakh in April-May 2020 resulted in face-offs at a number of points. After the Galwan Valley clashes, we were addressing a situation that not only saw fatalities but events that needed heavy weaponry deployment," he said.
Recent developments, reflecting ongoing diplomatic engagements, have set India-China ties on a path of improvement, Jaishankar said. He added that India remains committed to engaging with China to establish a fair and mutually acceptable framework for boundary resolution.
“In the coming days, we will discuss both de-escalation and effective management of activities in the border areas. The conclusion of the disengagement phase now enables us to focus on other aspects of our bilateral engagement,” said Jaishankar.
He said that earlier due to sustained tension, specific developments in border areas, our overall ties with China were bound to be impacted adversely.
“Next priority would be to consider de-escalation that would address amassing of troops along LAC. Immediate priority was to ensure disengagement from friction points, this has been fully achieved,” said the external affairs minister.
He further said, “Keeping our national security interests foremost, in my recent meeting with foreign minister Wang Yi, we reached an understanding that the special representatives and the foreign secretary-level mechanism will be convened soon.”
India remains committed to engaging with China through bilateral talks to achieve a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable settlement of the border issue, Jaishankar said.
He emphasised that managing border areas will require greater focus in light of recent experiences. He outlined three key principles to be upheld in all circumstances.
