On Tuesday, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar stated that India-China relations had shown some progress and emphasized India's commitment to engaging with Beijing to establish a fair and mutually acceptable framework for resolving boundary issues.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar speaks in the Lok Sabha during the Winter session of Parliament, in New Delhi, Tuesday. (PTI Photo)
He made these remarks while addressing the Lok Sabha on "recent developments in India’s relations with China."
“The recent developments that reflect continuous diplomatic engagements have set Indo-China ties in the direction of some improvement,” said Jaishankar.
The Union Minister noted that India-China relations have remained abnormal since 2020, when peace and tranquillity in the border areas were disrupted due to Chinese actions. He further stated that China's troop buildup in eastern Ladakh during April-May 2020 led to confrontations at several locations.
A few weeks ago, Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi discussed the future course of India-China relations during their first high-level meeting since the two countries' militaries disengaged from friction points in Demchok and Depsang in eastern Ladakh.
Jaishankar emphasized that the next priority would be to focus on de-escalation efforts to address the buildup of troops along the LAC.
“Immediate priority was to ensure disengagement from friction points, this has been fully achieved,” he said.
Jaishankar's Statement in Lok Sabha
The House acknowledges that China has unlawfully occupied 38,000 km² of Indian territory in Aksai Chin following the conflicts of 1962 and the events leading up to them. Additionally, in 1963, Pakistan illegally transferred 5,180 km² of Indian territory to China, which has been under Pakistan's control since 1948.
India and China have engaged in decades-long discussions to address their boundary dispute. Although the Line of Actual Control exists, there is no mutual agreement on its alignment in certain regions.
We are dedicated to maintaining engagement with China through bilateral discussions to establish a fair, reasonable, and mutually agreeable framework for resolving boundary issues.
Members may recall that in April-May 2020, China deployed a significant number of troops along the LAC in eastern Ladakh, leading to confrontations with our forces at multiple locations. This development also disrupted patrolling activities in the area.
The remarkable efforts of our armed forces deserve recognition, as they swiftly and effectively counter-deployed despite the logistical challenges and the prevailing Covid situation at the time.
Following the Galwan Valley clashes, we dealt with a situation that involved not only casualties but also required the deployment of heavy weaponry.
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