External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar informed the Lok Sabha about the agreement signed with China to de-escalate tensions. He said that we are very clear that the restoration of peace and tranquility will be the basis for promoting other aspects of bilateral relations to move forward. He said the government’s position was clear that border peace was necessary to develop relations with Beijing. We ourselves held meetings with the Chinese Ministers of Foreign Affairs and Defense to address these issues.
The foreign minister said our national security adviser also spoke to the Chinese national security adviser. Both men are special representatives in solving these problems. More detailed discussions were also held at the diplomatic level through the Working Mechanism for Cooperation and Coordination (WMCC). Military commander-level meetings are held to defuse tensions and resolve issues. Officials from both countries made progress through coordination.
Foreign Minister says – 21 meetings held
He revealed that since June 2020, WMCC has held 17 meetings and SHMC meetings 21 times. Against this background, today I would like to inform the House of Representatives about the agreement reached on 21 October 2024 on Depsang and Demchok. Since the signing of the final DISH cooperation agreement in the Hot Springs area in September 2022, these two areas have been the focus of our discussions with the Chinese side at WMCC and SHMC.
“Peace destroyed by China’s actions”
The Indian Foreign Minister stated that the relationship between India and China has been unusual since 2020, and the peace in the border areas has been undermined by China’s actions. Recent developments reflect the ongoing diplomatic partnership, which has resulted in some improvements in India-China relations. We are committed to working with China to reach a fair and mutually acceptable framework for resolving the border issue.
Foreign Minister says – not normal due to tensions
Jaishankar said efforts are being made at the diplomatic level to reduce border tensions and restore peace. Our first priority was to remove security forces from conflict sites, and we were successful in doing so. We are very clear that restoring border peace is the basis for promoting the development of overall relations. The foreign minister said relations with China could not remain normal due to border tensions.
