No Change In India's Position On Taiwan: New Delhi Rebuts China's Jaishankar Claim

India has refuted a claim made by Beijing that New Delhi had reaffirmed Taiwan as a part of China, News18 reported.

The assertion originated from an official Chinese readout following a meeting between India's External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar, and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi.

In response to the Chinese statement, which caused geopolitical speculation, India's Ministry of External Affairs clarified that there has been "no change" in its long-standing and nuanced position on Taiwan. New Delhi emphasized that, like many other nations, it will continue to foster its robust economic, technological, and cultural relationship with Taipei.

"There is no change in our position on Taiwan. We stressed that like the rest of the world, India has a relationship with Taiwan that focuses on economic, technology and cultural ties. We intend to continue it," Business Standard quoted official government sources as saying.

Sources had told News18 that during the meeting, when Wang Yi cautioned India against engaging with Taiwan, Jaishankar reportedly countered by pointing out that China itself actively engages with Taiwan in the same sectors. His retort, "So how is that possible?", underscored India's intention to maintain its independent foreign policy regarding Taipei.

This diplomatic friction occurs as both nations are attempting to stabilize their relationship after a "difficult period" marked by border tensions. The timing is particularly sensitive, as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is expected to travel to Tianjin, China, at the end of the month for the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit.

Meanwhile, China has reportedly removed export restrictions on fertilizers, rare earth magnets/minerals, and tunnel boring machines for India.

The fertilizer restrictions had previously impacted the supply of Di-Ammonium Phosphate (DAP) during the Rabi season. Additionally, delays in shipping tunnel boring machines affected key infrastructure projects, including those using equipment from foreign companies with plants in China. The auto and electronics industries also faced shortages due to curbs on rare earth minerals, which threatened production disruptions.

China had cited security considerations amid strained bilateral relations as the reason for imposing these restrictions. However, both countries have been working towards easing tensions following troop disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Confidence-building measures and trade normalization were part of their discussions last month.