Peace at border areas remain main basis for normal ties between India-China: Jaishankar

New Delhi, Oct 18: External Affairs Minister, Dr. S Jaishankar said that peace in the border areas are the main basis for normal relations between India and China. The remarks were made while delivering an address on the theme, 'China foreign policy and International relations in the new era.

At the conference organised by the Center for Contemporary China Studies, the minister said that India must prepare to compete more effectively especially in our immediate periphery. On the international stage, building deeper relations and promoting a better understanding of India's interests strengthens the country he added.

"Peace and tranquillity in the border areas clearly remain the basis for normal relations. From time to time, this has been mischievously conflated with the sorting out of the boundary question," the foreign minister said.

While referring to the massing of troops on the Line of Actual Control by China, Dr. Jaishankar said the truth is that the prerequisite has been and remains one much more modest; and even that was breached in 2020.

"Given the developments of 2020, they obviously focus on an effective defence of the border. This was notably undertaken even in the midst of COVID-19."

"Establishing a modus vivendi between India and China after 2020 is not easy. Yet, it is a task that cannot be set aside. And this can only become sustainable on the basis of three mutuals: mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest," the External Affairs Minister said.

"The last few years have been a period of serious challenge, both for the relationship and for the prospects of the continent. The continuation of the current impasse will not benefit either India or China. New normals of posture will inevitably lead to new normals of responses," he also said.