According to External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, India’s “abnormal” relationship with China since the military clashes in eastern Ladakh in April 2020 has improved a bit. He said continuous diplomatic engagement since those incidents had started laying the ground for better ties while speaking in the Lok Sabha.
Jaishankar “reaffirmed the commitment of both sides to resolve border issues through bilateral consultations in a fair, reasonable, and mutually acceptable way.” He emphasized, however, that recent experiences made the management of border areas something to which much more attention was required. “Three mutuals,” as he described them, must form the basis for the interactions between the two countries: “strict observance” of the LAC, avoiding “unilateral changes” in the status quo, and “full adherence to the agreed agreements.”.
The minister recalled that China had amassed a huge number of troops along the LAC in April and May 2020, leading to several face-offs with Indian forces and disrupting patrolling activities. He praised the armed forces for their effective counter-deployment despite logistical challenges and the COVID-19 pandemic.
Jaishankar said this was achieved through diplomatic engagement, including almost two dozen rounds of military commander-level talks, which resulted in a disengagement agreement last October. The agreement allowed troop withdrawal and the resumption of patrols in areas that each side used before April 2020.
Last week, the government had confirmed that the agreement had been implemented as agreed upon. The restoration of peace along the LAC was viewed as a crucial roadmap to normalize ties between the two countries.
Jaishankar also stated that the immediate priority had been achieved: disengagement of troops from friction points in the Depsang and Demchok areas, with the next step being the resolution of troop build-up along the LAC.
His remarks came after a meeting between Defence Minister Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart Dong Jun last week-a first minister-level engagement after disengagement in eastern Ladakh. The meeting in Laos had come on the sidelines of a two-day long ASEAN Summit.
The progress in disengagement and patrolling in Depsang and Demchok mirrors the positive actions around Pangong Lake and in the Gogra-Hot Springs area, where both sides have gone back to their pre-April 2020 positions.
