India-China disengagement a welcome step: S. Jaishankar on border truce

External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said recently separation of Indian and Chinese troops on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh was a “welcome step” that opened up the possibility of other similar measures.

His remarks came just days after the end of troop withdrawal from neighboring countries at two friction points in Demchok and Depsang, four years after continuing tensions in the wake of Border skirmishes in 2020.

The withdrawal involved the withdrawal of troops, tents and temporary structures. Patrolling in Demchok began on November 1, while Indian troops also started verification patrols in Depsang.

Addressing members of the Indian community at the University of Queensland in Brisbane on Sunday, Jaishankar said: “As far as India and China are concerned, yes, we have made some progress. “You know, our relationship has been very, very troubled… we’ve made some progress on what we call disengagement, which is when soldiers are very close to each other that could lead to some untoward incident.”

“A very large number of Chinese troops have been deployed along the LAC, which were not there before 2020. We, in turn, launched a counterattack. There are other aspects of the relationship that also suffered during this period. So it’s clear that whatever direction we take after the withdrawal, but we think that the withdrawal is a welcome step. This opens up the possibility of taking further steps,” he added.

The Union Minister also said that the expectations after the meeting in between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping last month would be a continuation of interactions between himself, national security advisers and their counterparts in Beijing.

October 21 India announced that it has reached an agreement with China on patrolling along the LAC, a breakthrough in ending the over four-year military standoff that began after deadly clashes between troops of the two countries in June 2020 in the Galwan Valley.

SJAISHANKAR ON GLOBAL CONFLICTS

During the conversation at the University of Queensland, the Foreign Minister also referred to the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict and the war in the Middle East, repeating that “we are trying to do something in both cases.”

Regarding the Russia-Ukraine conflict, Jaishankar said India is making efforts to bring diplomacy back to the forefront and Prime Minister Modi is personally attending meetings with the leaders of both warring nations.

Conflict every day has costs for the world, in addition to the costs to Russia and Ukraine, he said, adding: “So this is a situation that requires some degree of activity or proactive diplomacy. We’re trying to do it.”

When it comes to the war in the Middle East, Jaishankar said the situation is completely different.

“At the moment, efforts are more focused on preventing the conflict from spreading. And here one of the gaps is the inability of Iran and Israel to talk directly. So different countries are trying to see if they can do it, you know, fill that gap. We happen to be one of them,” he said, without going into details.