Indian foreign minister, Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said that the ties with China cannot get normal until the troops are pulled back from the disputed border.
Following a three-hour meeting with the Chinese Foreign Minister, Wang Yi, in New Delhi, Jaishankar said in a news briefing on Friday that frictions and tensions on the border cannot be accommodated with normal relations.
“I was very honest in my discussions with the Chinese foreign minister, especially in conveying our national sentiments,” India’s Foreign Minister S Jaishankar told the news briefing.
“The frictions and tensions that arise from China’s deployments since April 2020 cannot be reconciled with a normal relationship between the two neighbours,” he added.
Notably, both the nations have deployed thousands of troops on the high-altitude border since the June 2020 skirmish when 20 Indian and more than 30 Chinese soldiers died in the northern Himalayan border region. Talks between the senior military officers have not been able to make prolific progress.
Wang Yi said in a statement that China and India should work together to promote peace and stability across the world.
“The two sides should put the differences on the boundary issue in an appropriate position in bilateral relations, and adhere to the correct development direction of bilateral relations,” Wang Yi said.
“China does not pursue the so-called “unipolar Asia” and respects India’s traditional role in the region. The whole world will pay attention when China and India work hand in hand,” Wang Yi further said.
Jaishankar, who has previously served as the ambassador to Beijing, said that it was on China’s request that India did not announce Chinese Foreign Minister’s trip to India before his arrival on Thursday.
Wang also met Ajit Doval, India’s National Security Adviser, who stressed the need for de-escalation at the border. However, it was not clarified if India will pull back its troops if China agreed to withdraw its troops.
The two foreign ministers also talked over their nations’ approaches to handling the Ukrainian crisis.
“Both of us agreed on the importance of an immediate ceasefire, as well as a return to diplomacy,” Jaishankar said.
Prior to his arrival, Wang drew a sharp reaction from India for remarks in Pakistan on Kashmir, an issue on which China has generally backed its close ally, Pakistan.
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