India’s External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said on Tuesday that years of troubled relations with China seemed to be improving. He praised the government for insisting on dialogue with China to maintain peace in the LAC and for the efforts to seek a proper solution to the disputed border.
Jaishankar reiterated that since 2020, tensions have escalated between the two countries because of activities that have upset peace in the bordering regions. He also attributed it to the Indian armed forces for their prompt and efficient action in the situation despite many logistics constraints and the Covid situation. “This can be said to be our forces that counter Chinese troops rapidly to protect our sovereignty,” he remarked.
He said that recent diplomatic and military negotiations mean a shift toward improving relations. He spoke of some of the recent issues pertaining to borders, such as the October agreement on the right to patrol along the LAC. “The end of the disengagement period facilitates attention not only to other aspects of our bilateral cooperation,” he also said.
Jaishankar also pointed to the need for deescalation in the next steps of negotiations, which should focus on the problematic accumulation of forces at the LAC. He once again clarified that India’s immediate aim has been to secure disengagement from the face-off locations, which has been accomplished.
Recently the minister started a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during which it was decided that they would summon special representatives and will restart foreign secretary mechanisms. He highlights that India has not had any change in stance and has stood firm on how it does not compromise on its national security even when it is in a quest for an acceptable solution to the demarcation of borders.
Jaishankar also presented three fundamentals of managing borders in the region and clarified that India would apply the lessons learnt in the recent past.
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