Jaishankar on India's Relations with China
India and China have had a pretty tumultuous few years in their diplomatic ties, primarily due to border tensions. Speaking at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar described the relationship as "very disturbed" after aggressive actions by Chinese troops along the LAC. He did concede, though, that there has been progress in recent months, most notably with the disengagement at Demchok and Depsang Plains.
A ray of hope for diplomacy emanates from disengagement efforts
Jaishankar welcomed the recent progress with regard to disengagement at two long-standing friction points in Ladakh, saying that after this effort, there is scope now for other diplomatic efforts also. "Our relations were very disturbed, but we've managed to achieve some steps toward disengagement," he said, seeming optimistic about future stability and cooperation.
Patrolling resumption at key points along LAC
In an important step, India resumed its patrolling along the Demchok on 1 November as Indian as well as Chinese troops completed disengagement from two friction points in Ladakh, marking the latest effort for restoring normalcy to bilateral ties.
What do the future directions for India-China relations look like?
Jaishankar conceded that the future course of India-China relations would be decided by sustained diplomatic engagements. After Prime Minister Modi meets with Chinese President Xi Jinping, it is likely that National Security Advisor of India and Jaishankar himself will have more dialogue sessions with their Chinese counterparts, which may open doors for further confidence-building measures.
A Question of Intent: What Does China Really Want?
Although recent disengagement appears to be a step forward, China's long-term intentions remain unclear. Do these steps represent a true attempt to repair ties or are they only a tactical maneuver? As history between the two has been strained, India keeps watching and is willing to proceed peacefully with its neighbor, as hinted at by Jaishankar. Whether China acts upon its words is keenly being observed.
With inputs from agencies
Image Source: Multiple agencies
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