Jaishankar calls the India-China relationship ‘not good’ and dismisses third-party meddling. His remarks emphasize border problems and direct engagement.
Jaishankar Tokyo Press Conference Ropes in Tensions
External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar has dubbed the relations between India and China as “not good, not normal.” He spoke at a press conference in Tokyo on July 29, 2024, while attending the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting.
Background of India-China Strains
Jaishankar asserted that the origins of the current tensions between India and China date back to 2020. According to him, it was Chinese mass military deployment in border areas violating agreements that led to severe clashes and the deadly Galwan Valley confrontation on June 15, 2020. A call for direct dialogue.
In response to the question of whether direct dialogue between India and China will resolve the Ladakh standoff, he stated that such solutions should originate from direct dialogue between the two nations. “We have a problem, or, I would say, an issue between India and China. I think it is for the two of us to talk it over and find a way,” said Jaishankar, while almost always reiterating India’s position of keeping the third party out.
Quad Foreign Ministers’ Meeting
He made these remarks in the backdrop of a visit to attend the Quad foreign ministers’ meeting comprising Japan, the United States, and Australia. The Quad ministers have, in the joint statement, expressed concerns over the regional tensions and stood against unilateral attempts at changing the status quo through coercive means.
Border row is far from over
It has been five years that the India-China border dispute in eastern Ladakh has continued. Of course, there were several rounds of Corps Commander-level talks and the partial disengagement from friction points. Comprehensive resolution remains elusive.
The recent meetings with Chinese officials
Other than his statements in Tokyo, Jaishankar and Chinese Minister of Foreign Affairs Wang Yi have met twice in the recent past. First was when Jaishankar met Wang Yi in Laos during ASEAN meetings, which was followed by Jaishankar attending the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation summit at Astana. Successive meetings underline continued efforts at resolving the disengagement process and keeping border tensions under check.
It is clear now that Jaishankar’s latest statements have reiterated how India will not spare anything to use direct negotiations as the right platform to iron out its differences with China in a very complex relationship with the Asian giant.
