The Minister of External Affairs, S Jaishankar, said Wednesday that India and China are working to rebuild the ties damaged by the Galwan Valley clashes of 2020, but some problems remain unsolved. Speaking in an event organized by the Society of Asia, he emphasized that a tense relationship does not benefit any of the countries.
“It was not just the spill of blood, it was the contempt of the written agreements … The deviation of the terms of what was agreed was very sharp and very substantial,” Jaishankar said during a moderate session by Kyung-Who Kang, president and CEO of the Asia Society and former Minister of Foreign Affairs of South Korea.
Jaishankar acknowledged that while the relationship has improved since October last year, certain challenges persist. “We are still dealing with some parts of this, it is not that the problem has completely disappeared,” he said. He pointed out that the efforts are ongoing to address the damage of the clashes of 2020, adding: “We really believe, we think that this is of our mutual interest.”
India and China reached a disconnection agreement in October for Depsang and Dechok, the last two friction points in East Ladakh. Days later, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held conversations in Kazan, which led to decisions aimed at improving Bilateral relations.
Jaishankar stressed the importance of managing differences to prevent them from becoming disputes. “Let’s compete on many issues. But because we compete, it does not mean that there should be a conflict between us. We are very realistic about it,” he said.
When addressing the broader implications of the tense relationship, Jaishankar said: “How do we benefit by having a very tense relationship with that large number of troops in a very hostile environment and in all the collateral damage it has made to the relationship?” He added that maintaining peace and tranquility on the border is essential for general ties between the two countries.
