External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday said that the ties between India and China have seen some improvement since October last year and noted that the two nations are working on different aspects of it.
In conversation with Kyung-wha Kang of Asia Society on Wednesday, Jaishankar said that India and China are trying to undo some of the damage that happened due to the actions in 2020 and rebuild bilateral ties.
When asked how he sees India-China bilateral relations unfolding under this low geopolitical context of churn, he said, “We had a war with China in ’62. It took us 14 years after that to send back an ambassador. It took us 12 more years for a Prime Minister of India to visit that country and from 1988, there was a certain understanding between India and China on the basis of which the relationship was rebuilt. We didn’t obviously couldn’t solve the problems in most of all the boundary issue, but we built a relationship, we managed it.”
“There were dialogues and negotiations going on while other parts of the relationship grew, the economic relationship grew, there were more exchanges, people went up, you know, the rest, and even, on the boundary, in fact, we had a series of agreements, which laid out in great detailed protocols on how to manage the boundary, how to deploy, how to ensure that something accidental doesn’t happen all the while, you know, negotiations were going on to find a solution to the boundary issue. Now from then, let us, if we use 1988 as a starting point till 2020. While we had incidents along in the boundary in the border areas. We had not actually had bloodshed. The last bloodshed was 45 years before 2020.”
He recalled the border standoff between India and China in 2020, which involved a military response on India’s side. The border standoff between India and China began in eastern Ladakh along the LAC in 2020, sparked by Chinese military actions. This incident sparked a prolonged rise in tensions between the two nations, significantly straining their relations.
Recalling the border standoff between the two nations, Jaishankar said, “So, what happened in 2020 was actually very traumatic for the relationship. It wasn’t just the bloodshed. It was the disregard of written agreements because this isn’t the grey area we are talking about. I mean, the departure from the terms of what was agreed to was very sharp and very substantial. Now through this period, I mean, obviously it took us, I mean we’re still dealing with some parts of this. So, it’s not like the issue has completely gone away We felt that, obviously it called for a military response on India’s side which happened, there was a counter deployment by us. But, we also felt that the way forward was to find a negotiated outcome, and that’s what we’ve been trying to do since 2020. Now, the answer to your question is we don’t think this period serves the interests of either India or China.”
“How do we benefit by having a very tense relationship with that a large number of troops out there that, very hostile environment and all the collateral damage which it has done to the relationship because obviously if peace and tranquility in the border areas were disturbed then you know the rest of the relationship can’t go on as normal. So, we, I mean in terms of I would say principles or concepts, we basically made two points which is differences should not become disputes and that competition should not become conflict. We can differ on many issues. We do compete on many issues, but because we compete doesn’t mean that there should be a conflict between us. We are very realistic about it,” he added.
He said that the two nations will have issues in the foreseeable future. However, there are ways of addressing those issues and what happened in 2020 was not the way to address those issues.
“We know, between India and China, there will at least in the foreseeable future, there will be issues, but there are ways of addressing those issues and what happened in 2020 was not the way to address those issues. So, right now, we feel that from October of last year, the relationship has seen some improvement. We are working on different aspects of it. I’ve met my counterpart a few times, so have my other senior colleagues, and what we are trying step by step is to see is to see we can rebuild, undo some of the damage which happened as a result of their actions in 2020 and we can rebuild the relationship and we genuinely sincerely think that this is in our mutual interest that if one looks at that 2020 to 2025, I think it was a period which did not serve them well and it did not serve us well,” he said.
India and China had reached an agreement in October on patrolling arrangements in the Depsang Plains and Demchok, two friction points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The understanding was reached after earlier disengagement in other friction points in eastern Ladakh following meetings at diplomatic and military levels.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi met with Chinese President Xi Jinping on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS Summit at Kazan on October 23, 2024. During the meeting, PM Modi welcomed the agreement for complete disengagement and resolution of issues that arose in 2020 in the India-China border areas and underscored the importance of properly handling differences and disputes and not allowing them to disturb peace and tranquillity.
During the event, Jaishankar also said that there are very diverse and complex set of reactions within Asia. He stated that each part, not just of Asia but each part of the world would be gauging this foundational shift from its particular relationship to the foundation and to the larger environment.
Asked about how Asia is going to evolve, Jaishankar said, “I know you called the Asia Society, but that doesn’t mean all of Asia has a similar position. I think within Asia, there are actually very very diverse, very complex set of reactions. I think different countries would each one, I mean exactly your starting point, you know, those in Asia who are treaty allies will look at it differently, those who have what they perceive to be very sharp competitive edges to the relationship with the US would look at it differently. Those who believe that well maybe in all these changes there are opportunities lurking out there which if you can exploit it intelligently may offer your possibilities will look at it differently. I think some of the energy producers in the Gulf may look at it very differently. So, I would say really it’s a very bespoke answer you’re looking for. I think everybody would really be kind of coming at it very, very differently and in a way we have all of the above.”
“I mean there would be each part, not just of Asia but each part of the world would be gauging this foundational shift from its particular relationship to the foundation and to the larger environment and calculating saying you know what what are the challenges and opportunities, what are the costs and benefits, what are the risks and possibilities in this. So, I think the diversity of Asia does not allow me to give you a single uniform answer. Clearly there will be strategic, I would say, in a sense, security ships. Clearly, there will be technology interplays out there. In many ways, a lot of what is driving the shift will also impact some parts of Asia. I mean, we are looking today at more industrial policy, at tariff wars if you would tariff impositions at least, uh, you’re looking at much stronger export controls. So, it’s not just the foundation which is shifting that shifting foundation has a worldview which is significantly different from the earlier foundation on which some parts of Asia particularly profited enormously and may now no longer do so,” he added. (ANI)
