Jaishankar Declares No Third-Party Mediation For India-China Tensions: 'Resolution Lies Between Us'

A third-party mediation to resolve issues between India and China was ruled out by External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, on Monday.

According to PTI, Jaishankar stated, "Obviously, other countries in the world would have an interest in the matter, because we are two big countries and the state of our relationship has an impact on the rest of the world. But we are not looking to other countries to sort out what is really an issue between us."

Photo Credit: PTI

Jaishankar Declares No Third-Party Mediation

He elaborated on the strained relations, noting, "We have views on China based on our experience. Our relations with China are not doing very well. In 2020, during COVID, very large forces were brought by China to the border areas between India and China in violation of agreements that had been signed with China, leading to tensions and clashes in which people died on both sides," as quoted by ANI.

Jaishankar continued, "The consequences of that have continued as the issue has not been fully resolved. The relationship with China right now is not good, not normal. As a neighbour, a better relationship is hoped for, but that can only happen if the Line of Control is respected and agreements signed in the past are honoured."

The foreign ministers of the Quad countries-comprising the US, Japan, India, and Australia-are meeting in Tokyo. Jaishankar mentioned, "India is hosting this year's Quad Summit, and discussions are ongoing about the timing. New ideas were proposed today, including disaster resilience, digital and critical emerging technologies, physical connectivity, and capacity building across the Indo-Pacific," as reported by Hindustan Times.

Earlier, accusations were made by China against the Quad alliance, which was said to be "artificially creating tension," "inciting confrontation," and "containing" the development of other countries in the Asia Pacific region, as per media reports. Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Lin Jian was quoted by PTI, stating, "The Quad was artificially creating tension, inciting confrontation, and containing the development of other countries. This is against the global trend of peace, development, and stability in the Asia Pacific."