BENGALURU: India-China relationship is very “tense” and it could be a “dangerous situation” because of the border issue, said External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr S Jaishankar in a media interaction in Bengaluru on Friday evening. While fielding questions, he said the relationship between India and China “cannot be normal” under the present circumstances.
“Despite 16 rounds of commander-level talks between us on the Chinese disengagement along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh, the issue remains unresolved. The Indian Army has been holding its ground for the past two winters, which shows our resolve on standing our ground. We have made some substantial progress in terms of the troops pulling back from places, where they were very close. There are still some places, where they have not,” said the EAM.
He added that “India has consistently maintained its position that if China disturbed peace in the border areas it will impact on our bilateral relationship with them.”
Regarding India’s security concerns against the Chinese ballistic missile and satellite tracking ship ‘Yuan Wang 5’ against docking at the Hambantota Port in Sri Lanka, Jaishankar reiterated MEA spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi’s views on the issue in which he said, “Security concerns are the sovereign right of every country. We will make the best judgement in own interest.” On a question regarding China’s Belt and Road Initiative (BRI), Jaishankar said, it violates our sovereignty and territorial integrity.
“Our view on the BRI has been consistent and I don’t need to vindicate my stand,” he said.
‘Resolve conflict through dialogue’
On the ongoing Ukraine-Russia conflict, the Minister said it has led to an energy and food crisis. “The conflict has impacted global trade, created volatility in supply of oil, wheat and semiconductors and led to investment challenges.
But we need to work around and overcome challenges. Politically, we have maintained that the conflict should be resolved through dialogue and diplomacy,” he added.
Jaishankar said that the instability in the world is a challenge to national security and the Modi government is making every effort to address it. Regarding Afghanistan, Jaishankar said India has historically maintained relationships with people of Afghanistan.