External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said that India and China have had a “difficult history” and stated that despite the explicit agreements between both countries, the Chinese troops during the COVID-19 pandemic moved a large number of forces in violation of the agreements to the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Talking about the ongoing border disputes between both countries, Jaishankar said that 75 percent of the issues have been resolved, however, he clarified that when he only meant “disengagement”.
Addressing the Asia Society at the Asia Society Policy Institute, External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar said, “When I said 75 per cent of it has been sorted out, it’s only of the disengagement. So, that’s one part of the problem. Some of the patrolling issues still need to be resolved. The next step will be de-escalation.”
India-China Relationship Key To Asia’s Future: EAM Jaishankar
The External Affairs Minister further stressed that in a “multipolar” world where change has been stretching the fabric of the global order, the key to the future of Asia as well as the world lies in the relationship between India and China.
“Asia is very much at the cutting edge of that change. Within Asia, India is part of leading that change. But that change is today stretching the fabric of the global order. I think the India-China relationship is key to the future of Asia. In a way, you can say if the world is to be multipolar, Asia has to be multipolar. And, therefore, this relationship will influence not just the future of Asia but, in that way, perhaps the future of the world as well,” he said.
‘We Had Difficult History With China…’: Jaishankar
Highlighting the rise of border disputes among both the neighbouring countries, Jaishankar said, “We have had a difficult history with China. Despite our clear agreements with China, we saw that during COVID-19 the country violated these agreements by sending a large number of troops to the LAC. It was likely that there would be an accident, and it did happen.”
“There was a clash, and a number of soldiers were killed on both sides,” Jaishankar said, adding, “This in a way affected the relationship between the two countries.”
‘China-India Not Rivals’: Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong
Speaking on the relationship between India and China, Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong said, “We should follow the right direction and enhance mutual respect and mutual trust. President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have reached an important consensus that China and India are not rivals or threats to each other, but are partners in cooperation and development opportunities.”
“This provides a clear direction for our bilateral relations. We should firmly implement the important consensus reached by the two leaders, correctly view each other’s development and strategic intentions and mutually accommodate each other’s core interests and major concerns,” he added.
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