S Jaishankar Discusses India-China Border Dispute: “It’s for Both of Us to Discuss

India has been clear that its relationship with China cannot be considered normal without peace. Mr. Jaishankar emphasized that the issue between India and China is something for the two countries to resolve through dialogue, rather than involving other nations. While the rest of the world has an interest in their relationship due to their global impact, he stressed that it is primarily a matter for India and China to discuss and resolve.

During a recent meeting in the Laotian capital, both Indian and Chinese officials agreed on the necessity of providing strong guidance to complete the disengagement process following the military standoff in eastern Ladakh in May 2020. India has consistently maintained that its ties with China can only return to normal if there is peace in the border areas. This ongoing situation has continued for five years now, and the two sides have been engaged in 21 rounds of Corps Commander-level talks in an effort to resolve the standoff.

India has been urging the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to disengage from specific areas. Despite the lack of a breakthrough, both India and China agreed to maintain “peace and tranquillity” on the ground and continue communication on the way ahead during their 21st round of talks. The full resolution of the border issue has not been achieved, but the two sides have disengaged from several friction points.

Notably, the two met again in the Kazakh capital city of Astana on the sidelines of the summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) to discuss the matter, following their meeting in the Laotian capital. *(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed. )*