After confusion over '75% India-China border dispute sorted,' Jaishankar's clarification
What's the story
External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has clarified his recent statement on the India-China border dispute, stating that the "75% progress" he mentioned referred only to troop disengagement in eastern Ladakh. "When I said 75% of it has been sorted out, it's only of the disengagement. So, that's one part of the problem," he said at an event in New York.
Border tensions
Jaishankar addresses China's border agreement violations
Jaishankar also addressed China's violation of previous border agreements and its increased troop deployment during the COVID-19 pandemic. He noted that these actions escalated tensions along eastern Ladakh, leading to clashes that have overshadowed other aspects of India's bilateral relationship with Beijing. "We have a difficult history with China...we saw in the middle of COVID that the Chinese moved a large number of forces in violation of these agreements to the Line of Actual Control (LAC)," he said.
Ongoing issues
Jaishankar highlights challenges in India-China border dispute
The minister acknowledged that while major friction points have been "managed," challenges remain in determining patrolling rights along border areas. He emphasized the need for "de-escalation" as a crucial next step to improve other areas of New Delhi's bilateral relationship with Beijing. "So, we've been able to sort out much of the disengagement in the friction points, but some of the patrolling issues need to be resolved... The next step will be de-escalation," he added.
Future outlook
Jaishankar discusses broader India-China relationship
At the event, Jaishankar also emphasized that relation between India and China is critical to the future of making Asia and the world multipolar. "If the world is to be multipolar, Asia has to be multipolar and therefore this relationship will influence not just the future of Asia, but in that way, perhaps the future of the world as well," he said. However, he warned that New Delhi must be prepared for "volatility and unpredictability" in the international order.