Relations with China can only be better if it respects LAC: India
India's Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar stated on Monday that bilateral relations with China can only improve if Beijing respects the Line of Actual Control (LAC). This 3,500-kilometer (2,174-mile) de facto border between India and China is situated in the Ladakh region of the disputed Jammu and Kashmir area.
'Our current relations with China are not very good,' Jaishankar remarked to reporters in Tokyo, where he attended the Quad foreign affairs meeting.
Since May 2020, the two most populous countries have been embroiled in a border conflict in eastern Ladakh. In 2020 at least 24 soldiers lost their lives in hand-to-hand combat, including 20 Indian soldiers.
Reflecting on the COVID-19 period, which further strained bilateral relations, Jaishankar noted, "China deployed very large forces to the border areas between India and China, violating the agreements we had with them." This escalation led to clashes resulting in casualties on both sides.
'The issue remains unresolved, and as a result, our relationship with China is not good, not normal,' the Indian foreign minister explained. 'As neighbors, we hope for better relations, but this can only happen if China respects the LAC and adheres to the agreements they have previously signed.'
Last week, Jaishankar met with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Laos. Both officials acknowledged that stabilizing bilateral ties is in their mutual interest. Beijing stated that both sides agreed to work together to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas and to promote progress in border affairs consultations.
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