NEW DELHI: Describing the current state of India-China relations as “significantly disturbed,” External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar emphasized that the relationship between the two Asian giants will shape not only Asia’s future but also influence the entire world. Speaking at a think tank event in New York on Tuesday, Jaishankar highlighted the complexity of the parallel rise of India and China, calling it a “very unique problem” in global politics.
“In a way, you can say that if the world is to be multi-polar, Asia has to be multi-polar. Therefore, this relationship will influence… perhaps the future of the world as well,” Jaishankar said.
Jaishankar’s remarks come ahead of his address to the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) on Saturday. He also referred to the recent developments in eastern Ladakh, where India and China have been working on resolving military tensions since 2020. Jaishankar stated that while 75% of the “disengagement problems” have been resolved, challenges remain, particularly around the patrolling of the Line of Actual Control (LAC). He emphasized that the main issue now is how both countries can conduct patrolling along the LAC.
Diplomatic and military talks between the two nations have intensified in recent months, with hopes of a potential meeting between Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the upcoming BRICS summit in October. Chinese Ambassador to India, Xu Feihong, recently remarked that ties are at a crucial stage of improvement.
Jaishankar acknowledged that while much of the disengagement has been resolved, some patrolling issues remain. He also pointed out the broader concern of de-escalation, as both countries have stationed a large number of troops near the border. “There is the larger issue of how to deal with the rest of the relationship after disengagement,” he said.
The foreign minister also explained that prior to 2020, India and China had several agreements in place to maintain peace and stability along the border. However, these agreements were violated when China moved a large number of forces to the LAC during the Covid-19 pandemic, triggering a military response from India.
Jaishankar reflected on the 2020 Galwan clash, where soldiers on both sides lost their lives, stating that the incident has since overshadowed the bilateral relationship. He stressed that restoring peace and tranquillity at the border and ensuring adherence to agreements is critical before moving forward in other areas of cooperation.
