How to repair Indo-China ties: Jaishankar outlines 8 broad principles
New Delhi, Jan 28: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday outlined eight broad principles for repairing ties between India and China that included strict adherence to all agreements on management of the Line of Actual Control, mutual respect and sensitivity, and recognising each other's aspirations as rising Asian powers.
In an address at an online conference on India-China ties, Jaishankar said the events in eastern Ladakh last year have profoundly disturbed the relationship and asserted that any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo along the LAC is "completely unacceptable".
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The external affairs minister said any expectation that the situation at the border "can be brushed aside and life can carry on undisturbed" is simply not realistic.
Jaishankar said the India-China relationship is truly at the crossroads today and choices that are made will have profound repercussions not just for the two nations but for the entire world.
He said the Chinese actions in eastern Ladakh not only signalled a disregard for commitments about minimising troops level but also showed a willingness to breach peace and tranquillity.
"Significantly, to date, we have yet to receive a credible explanation for the change in China''s stance and massing of troops in border areas," he said at the All India Conference on China Studies.
Elaborating on eight points for moving forward in bilateral ties, the external affairs minister said agreements already reached on management of the LAC must be adhered to in their entirety and in letter and spirit.
"Whether
handling
of
the
border
areas
is
concerned,
the
Line
of
Actual
Control
must
be
strictly
observed
and
respected.
Any
attempt
to
unilaterally
change
the
status
quo
is
completely
unacceptable,"
he
said.
While
both
nations
are
committed
to
a
multi-polar
world,
Jaishankar
said,
there
should
be
a
recognition
that
a
multi-polar
Asia
is
one
of
its
essential
consequences.
"Obviously each state will have its interests, concerns and priorities, but sensitivity to them cannot be one-sided. At the end of the day relationships between major states are reciprocal in nature," he said.
Jaishankar said as rising powers, each nation will have their own set of aspirations and their pursuit to it cannot be ignored.
He said peace and tranquillity in border areas is the basis for development of ties with China in other domains and if it is disturbed, "so inevitably is rest of the relationship".
The external affairs minister said far from mitigating already existing differences, events of 2020 have actually put the relationship under "exceptional stress"
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Any expectation that the situation at border can be brushed aside and life can carry on undisturbed is simply not realistic, he said.
He said if ties are to progress, policies must take into account the learnings of the last three decades.