External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar recently said that about 75 per cent of the issues with China, especially those related to disengagement, have been resolved. Now he has a few more words to say about that statement. The foreign minister said, “When I say 75% progress has been made in the India-China border dispute negotiations, I am only referring to the issue of troop withdrawal from eastern Ladakh.”
Jaishankar said: “India has a difficult history with China. Despite Beijing’s clear agreement with India, many troops were deployed along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in 2020. Our history with China is fraught with difficulties. Even though we have a clear agreement with India China has clear protocols, but we have seen during the COVID-19 pandemic that China has violated those protocols and sent large numbers of troops to the LAC.
S Jaishankar tells how relationships soured
The Foreign Minister further said, “There may be some accidents, but that’s the way it is.” There were clashes between the two sides, and many soldiers from both sides were killed. Relations between the two countries have suffered as a result, he told the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York. When I say 75% (of the border dispute) has been resolved, it’s just a matter of retreat. This is part of the problem. Therefore, we are able to resolve most situations of retreat at the point of conflict. But some issues related to patrols need to be addressed. Now the next step will be to reduce tensions.
“The 2020 agreement was breached”
Let us tell you that earlier on September 13, the Foreign Minister said at the Center for Security Policy in Geneva that our relationship in the past was not easy. What happened in 2020 was a violation of many agreements, with China sending a large number of troops to the LAC. We responded by sending our troops there.
The meeting was held in Beijing
Let me tell you that India and China held the 31st World Border Coordination Conference in Beijing on August 29. The two sides decided to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas in accordance with relevant bilateral agreements and protocols. According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two sides exchanged “candid, constructive and forward-looking” views on the situation along the Line of Actual Control and agreed to strengthen contacts through diplomatic and military channels.
