De-escalation next focus at LAC, says EAM Jaishankar

Terming the relationship with Beijing “complicated”, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar today said de-escalation would be the next focus at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) after disengagement. Referring to the recent developments at the LAC, he said it was just “disengagement, nothing more, nothing less”.

The minister was speaking at an event here. He said disengagement was part of the “problem” with China along the LAC in eastern Ladakh and that had been addressed with last month’s understanding.

Jaishankar said it was a “reasonable supposition” to expect some improvement in the relations between India and China following the disengagement, but did not mention whether there could be a “reset of ties”.

“I see disengagement as disengagement, nothing more, nothing less. If you look at the current situation with China, our troops are uncomfortably close to the LAC, which necessitated disengagement,” he said.

Jaishankar’s remarks came in response to a question on whether the disengagement by the two sides last month was the beginning of a reset of ties between India and China. The EAM said the current situation of the relationship “does not warrant such a conclusion”.

Jaishankar said de-escalation of troops would be the next step following the disengagement process. It is a reasonable supposition that there will be some improvement in the ties,” he said.

On the India-China ties, Jaishankar said it was a “complicated” relationship.

The Indian and Chinese militaries completed the disengagement exercise in Depsang and Demchok in eastern Ladakh along the LAC last month after the two sides reached an agreement to resolve the border row.

The two sides also resumed patrolling in some locations after a gap of almost four and a half years.

The minister also spoke on how Donald Trump’s election as President “reflects American dissatisfaction with the effects of globalisation”, highlighting the need for “self-awareness in US economic policies”.

Jaishankar said the US would become “self-aware” under the Trump administration regarding its economic and manufacturing interests.