New Delhi: The situation at the border shared by India and China is not normal due to presence of Beijing’s troops in violation of agreements between the two countries, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Friday.
Jaishankar’s comments came after three-hour talks with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi in New Delhi. This is the highest-level visit by a Chinese leader since the border clashes along the Line of Actual Control two years ago strained ties between both the countries.
At a press conference, Jaishankar said China’s deployment of troops at the Line of Actual Control in contravention of the 1993-’96 agreements. “No, our relationship [with China at present] is not normal,” he added.
Earlier in the day, the Chinese foreign minister met National Security Advisor Ajit Doval at his office in South Block.
There had been no official confirmation of Wang’s visit by either India or China even when the minister arrived in Delhi on Thursday night. He landed hours after India’s foreign ministry rebuked him for his comments about Jammu and Kashmir at a meeting of the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation in Pakistan.
At the event, Wang had said that “China shares the same hope” as the Organisation of Islamic Cooperation on Kashmir. India had said that the Chinese foreign minister’s comments were “uncalled for”.
In December 2019, Wang last visited India for the Special Representative-level border talks with Doval, The Indian Express reported.
Then, relations between the two nuclear armed countries turned sour as incursions by People’s Liberation Army soldiers in Ladakh in June 2020 led to clashes in the Galwan Valley, leading to the death of 20 Indian soldiers. China had put the number of casualties on its side at four.
The military leaders of both the countries have held several round of talks with little success. The disengagement process at friction points along the Line of Actual Control is yet to be completed.
Wang’s visit is aimed at restarting physical engagement between India and China, as also inviting Prime Minister Narendra Modi for a meeting of BRICS countries to be hosted by China later this year, according to ANI. The BRICS grouping of countries comprises Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa. Scroll. In
