External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Thursday underscored the importance of “full respect” for the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and stressed the mutual interest of both India and China in stabilizing their diplomatic relations. External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar made these remarks during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi, in Vientiane, Laos.
The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) meetings, marking the second encounter between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Wang Yi within a month. The discussions focused on the ongoing military standoff in eastern Ladakh, which began in May 2020, and the need to advance the disengagement process.
External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar tweeted about the meeting, stating, “Met with CPC Politburo member and FM Wang Yi in Vientiane today. Continued our ongoing discussions about our bilateral relationship. The state of the border will necessarily be reflected on the state of our ties. Agreed on the need to give strong guidance to complete the disengagement process. Must ensure full respect for the LAC and past agreements. It is in our mutual interest to stabilise our ties. We should approach the immediate issues with a sense of purpose and urgency.”
Wang Yi, on the other hand, expressed hopes for a collaborative effort to “actively explore” ways for the two countries to improve their relations and foster positive perceptions among their respective populations. According to an official statement, Wang emphasized that restoring the China-India relationship would also align with the “shared aspirations” of countries in the ‘Global South.’
India has consistently maintained that normalization of relations with China is contingent upon peace in the border regions. The recent talks between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and Wang Yi occurred against the backdrop of the ongoing border dispute in Ladakh, which has now persisted for five years.
The two leaders’ previous meeting took place on July 4 in Astana, Kazakhstan, during the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit. Following Thursday’s discussions, the External Affairs Ministry noted that the talks provided an opportunity to review the border situation since their last meeting in Astana. Both sides agreed to hold an early meeting of the Working Mechanism on Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) to advance the discussions.
The Ministry emphasized the need for both countries to adhere fully to the bilateral agreements, protocols, and understandings previously reached. To date, India and China have conducted 21 rounds of Corps Commander-level talks to address the Ladakh standoff, which represents the most serious military conflict between the neighbors in decades. India continues to push for China’s disengagement from the Depsang and Demchok areas.
The last round of high-level military talks was held in February. Although no significant breakthrough was achieved, both nations agreed to maintain “peace and tranquillity” on the ground and continue communication regarding future steps.
