Ties with China significantly disturbed: Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has described the India-China relationship as “significantly disturbed”, highlighting unresolved issues, particularly over Indian troop patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). He made these remarks during an event titled ‘India, Asia and the World’ hosted by the Asia Society and the Asia Society Policy Institute in New York on Tuesday.

Jaishankar, for the first time, pointed to the dispute over patrolling rights as a key challenge. “Disengagement (by troops) is just a part of the problem. The main issue right now is the patrolling,” he said, referring to the disruption in patrolling arrangements since the military standoff along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh began in April 2020.

Sources revealed that talks between India and China remain deadlocked over Indian troop access to certain mountain routes east of the ‘bottleneck’, a geographical feature on the eastern edge of the Depsang plateau in Eastern Ladakh, a disputed 972 square kilometer area.

Jaishankar had earlier mentioned that 75 per cent of the disengagement issues with China had been resolved but clarified on Tuesday that this only pertained to disengagement. “Then we have to do de-escalation, as both of us have brought a very large number of troops up to the border,” he added. The minister emphasised that the broader challenge was determining how to manage the rest of the bilateral relationship.

He referenced the 1962 war between the two nations, noting how both sides had maintained a stable border through a series of agreements until China violated these accords by amassing troops along the LAC, prompting a corresponding response from India. The 2020 clash in Galwan, which resulted in fatalities on both sides, has since overshadowed bilateral relations. Reiterating India’s position, Jaishankar stated, “Until we can restore peace and tranquility on the border and ensure the agreements signed are adhered to, it’s obviously difficult to carry on with the rest of the relationship.”