"We have made some progress": EAM Jaishankar on India-China disengagement at LAC

While addressing the Indian diaspora at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia, on Sunday, Jaishankar noted that the recent disengagement efforts between India and China would determine the direction of the relations between the two nations and expressed his optimism about the potential for further diplomatic engagement, indicating that the recent disengagement could pave the way for additional steps.

"In terms of India-China, we have made some progress. Our relations were very disturbed for reasons all of you know. We have made some progress in what we call disengagement," he said.

He referred to the expectations following the meeting between Prime Minister Modi and President Xi on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in Kazan last month, noting that discussions between national security advisors and his counterparts were anticipated.

"We have to see, after the disengagement, what is the direction we go. We do think the disengagement is a welcome step. It opens up the possibility that other steps could happen. The expectation after PM Modi met President Xi was that both the National Security Advisor and myself would meet our counterparts. That's really where things are," he added.

Jaishankar acknowledged that the relationship between India and China had been significantly strained for various reasons, particularly due to the violent encounters in a military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh back in 2020, which resulted in casualties on both sides.

He noted that while progress has been made in terms of disengagement along the LAC, challenges still remain between the two nations.

He highlighted the complexities of the situation and pointed out the substantial presence of Chinese troops along the LAC, which had increased since 2020, prompting India to counter-deploy forces in response.

"The fact is there are a very large number of Chinese troops deployed along the Line of Actual Control who were not there before 2020, and we had counter-deployed. Other aspects of relationships also got affected," he said.

Notably, in a significant diplomatic development, India and China held their first bilateral talks in five years on the sidelines of the 16th BRICS Summit in Kazan, Russia, marking a crucial step towards mending the strained relations between the two neighbouring countries, which have been marred by a prolonged military standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

The disengagement is seen as the first concrete step towards restoring the pre-2020 status quo-ante. The Galwan Valley clash in June 2020, resulting in casualties on both sides, was the most severe conflict between the two nations in decades. Additionally, agreements have been reached in other sectors along the LAC.

India and China emphasised the importance of maintaining peace and tranquillity at the border, underscoring that mutual trust, respect, and sensitivity should form the foundation of their relationship. PM Modi highlighted that the restoration of peace in the border areas is essential for the normalisation of bilateral relations. (ANI)