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India-China relations have progressed: S Jaishankar in Lok Sabha
EAM Jaishankar said that recent military and diplomatic talks with China have resolved border issues, including patrolling agreements for areas along the LAC.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday informed the Lok Sabha that India-China relations have improved, emphasising government's commitment to engaging with Cwhina.
He also said that recent military and diplomatic talks have resolved border issues, including the October patrolling agreement for areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC)
The external affairs minister informed the House that India-China relations have been abnormal since 2020, following the disruption of peace and tranquillity in border areas due to Chinese actions.
“It is to credit of our forces that despite logistical challenges and Covid, they countered Chinese troops rapidly,” said the minister.
Recent developments, reflecting ongoing diplomatic engagements, have set India-China ties on a path of improvement, Jaishankar said. He added that India remains committed to engaging with China to establish a fair and mutually acceptable framework for boundary resolution.
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“In the coming days, we will discuss both de-escalation and effective management of activities in the border areas. The conclusion of the disengagement phase now enables us to focus on other aspects of our bilateral engagement,” said Jaishankar.
He said that earlier due to sustained tension, specific developments in border areas, India's overall ties with China were bound to be impacted adversely.
“Next priority would be to consider de-escalation that would address amassing of troops along LAC. Immediate priority was to ensure disengagement from friction points, this has been fully achieved,” said the external affairs minister.
He further said, “Keeping our national security interests foremost, in my recent meeting with foreign minister Wang Yi, we reached an understanding that the special representatives and the foreign secretary-level mechanism will be convened soon.”
India remains committed to engaging with China through bilateral talks to achieve a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable settlement of the border issue, Jaishankar said.
He emphasised that managing border areas will require greater focus in light of recent experiences. He outlined three key principles to be upheld in all circumstances.
