Border peace is needed for normal ties with China, says minister Jaishankar

Union Minister S. Jaishankar stated that normal relations between India and China depend on maintaining stability at the border. Speaking at a private event in New Delhi named the New Economy Seminar, Jaishankar noted that the two countries do not have a treaty-based border and that a boundary region has been continuously insisted upon for many decades. He pointed out that between 1975 and 2020, spanning 45 years, there were no blood-shedding clashes at the border, and relations between the two nations grew during this period. The last clash resulting in fatalities before recent years occurred in 1975.

Recent Clashes

Following that long peaceful period, India faced border issues around 2020 amid the COVID-19 lockdown. Jaishankar mentioned that these events resulted in soldiers from both sides being killed. He emphasized that when peace is disturbed at the border, its effects create damage in overall relations as well, which was clearly visible recently. This situation continued until peace was restored, and it took four years of talks to reach a solution.

Context

India-China relations have experienced significant strain in recent years following military standoffs in the Himalayan region. Diplomatic and military talks have been ongoing to resolve lingering friction points along the Line of Actual Control. Maintaining tranquility in border areas remains a central condition for broader bilateral engagement between the two neighboring nations.