External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar held a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of a Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) summit in Dushanbe. During this, both the leaders discussed the border dispute.
Foreign Minister of India S Jaishankar (Wang Yi-S Jaishankar) with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi
Giving a clear message to China, India said that due to the prolonged persistence of the current situation in Eastern Ladakh, bilateral relations are clearly being affected in a negative way. After this, China said on Thursday that it is ready to find mutually acceptable solutions to those matters which need to be resolved immediately through dialogue. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar attended a conference of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in Dushanbe. After this, on the sidelines of this conference, he held a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi. This meeting between the two leaders lasted for an hour.
During the meeting, S Jaishankar told Wang Yi that any unilateral change in the status quo on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is not acceptable to India. At the same time, relations can develop holistically only after complete restoration of peace in Eastern Ladakh. The meeting in the capital of Tajikistan comes at a time when there is a standoff between the two armies in the process of withdrawing forces at the remaining points of confrontation in eastern Ladakh. Earlier in February, the two armies withdrew their arms and forces from the Pangong Lake areas after military and political talks to resolve the standoff held since May last year.
China also admitted that relations with India are at a lower level
In a statement posted on its website on Thursday in relation to the talks between Jaishankar and Wang, the Minister said that the relations between India and China remain at a low level, while the relations between Galwan Valley and Pangong Lake are maintained by the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The situation on the border is generally improving after the withdrawal of forces. Despite this, the relations between China and India are still at a low level, which is not in anyone’s interest, he said. China reiterated its old stand that it is not responsible for the situation on India’s border with its country. Wang said, China is ready to find mutually acceptable solutions to matters that need to be resolved urgently through dialogue and consultation with the Indian side.
No progress has been made from China in improving the situation: Jaishankar
China has withdrawn its troops from the Galwan Valley and Pangong Tso, but the process of withdrawing forces from other areas of conflict such as Hot Springs, Gogra and Depsang in eastern Ladakh is not complete. Jaishankar categorically stated in the meeting with Wang that the prolongation of the current situation in eastern Ladakh is clearly having a negative impact on bilateral relations. He said that since the withdrawal of forces from the Pangong Lake areas in February, there has been no progress on the Chinese side in rectifying the situation. Jaishankar told Wang that any unilateral change in the status quo on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is not acceptable to India and relations can develop in a holistic manner only after complete restoration of peace in eastern Ladakh.
What did the Chinese foreign minister say?
The Chinese Foreign Ministry statement said that Wang agreed to hold talks for a mutually acceptable solution to matters requiring immediate resolution and that the two sides should place the border issue at an appropriate place in bilateral relations and promote bilateral cooperation. An environment conducive to the resolution of differences through dialogue should be created by expanding the positive aspects of the He said, taking forward the achievements made due to the withdrawal of forces, strictly adhering to the consensus and agreement reached between the two sides, refraining from taking any unilateral steps in sensitive disputed areas and reviving the situation created due to misunderstanding, he said. It is important to prevent this from happening.
“We need to take a long-term approach, we need to shift from emergency management to normal border management and control mechanisms, and we need to prevent border incidents from causing unnecessary disruption to bilateral relations,” Wang said. There has been no change in China’s strategic stance on China-India relations, he said. China-India relations should not be a threat to each other, but an opportunity for each other’s development. The two countries are partners, they are not rivals and enemies. According to military officials, at present around 50,000 to 60,000 soldiers are stationed near the LAC of each side in the sensitive area.
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