Must stabilise ties: Jaishankar tells Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Laos
- In Reports
- 11:11 AM, Jul 26, 2024
- Myind Staff
On Thursday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar emphasised the importance of "full respect" for the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and stated that it is in the "mutual interest" of both India and China to "stabilise" diplomatic relations. This statement was made during his meeting with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Laos.
The two foreign ministers met on the sidelines of ASEAN-related meetings in Vientiane, the capital of Laos. This meeting provided them with an opportunity to review the situation since their last encounter on the margins of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Astana on 4 July, according to a statement from the external affairs ministry.
Jaishankar stated in a post on X that he continued ongoing discussions with Wang regarding the bilateral relationship. “The state of the border will necessarily be reflected on the state of our ties,” he said.
“Agreed on the need to give strong guidance to complete the disengagement process. Must ensure full respect for the LAC and past agreements,” he said, referring to the military standoff in the Ladakh sector of the LAC and outstanding friction points such as Depsang and Demchok.
Jaishankar stressed that it is in the interest of both India and China to take urgent measures to stabilise the overall bilateral relationship.
“It is in our mutual interest to stabilise our ties. We should approach the immediate issues with a sense of purpose and urgency,” he said.
His comments come in the context of the Chinese leadership’s repeated calls for the border issue to be placed in its "appropriate place" within the broader relationship, while both nations advance ties in areas such as trade and investment.
The two leaders met in Vientiane, the capital of Laos, to participate in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meetings. This was the second meeting between Jaishankar and Yi within a month.
Jaishankar and Yi also agreed on the need to give "strong guidance" to fulfill the disengagement process following the military standoff in eastern Ladakh in May 2020.
Wang Yi expressed hope that the two nations would collaborate to "actively explore" ways for the neighbours to coexist harmoniously and foster positive perceptions among their communities, according to an official statement.
The Chinese Foreign Minister further remarked that restoring the China-India relationship to its proper course would align with the interests and "shared aspirations" of countries in the 'Global South'.
India has maintained that its relations with China cannot return to normalcy without peace in the border regions. The Jaishankar-Wang Yi discussions occurred amid the ongoing border dispute in Ladakh, now in its fifth year.
The two leaders had previously met on 4 July in Astana, Kazakhstan, during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.
Following Thursday's meeting, the External Affairs Ministry stated that the discussions allowed Jaishankar and Wang Yi to review the border situation since their Astana meeting. Additionally, both sides agreed to convene an early session of the Working Mechanism on Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) to advance their discussions, the statement added.
The Ministry also emphasised that both countries must fully adhere to relevant bilateral agreements, protocols, and understandings established between their governments in the past.
India and China have engaged in 21 rounds of Corps Commander-level talks to resolve the Ladakh standoff, which has marked the most serious military conflict between the two neighbours in decades. India has been urging China to disengage from the Depsang and Demchok areas.
The last round of high-level military talks took place in February. Although no breakthrough was achieved, both India and China agreed to maintain "peace and tranquillity" on the ground and to continue communication on the way forward.
Image source: X
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