'India-China relationship going through very difficult phase,' says EAM S Jaishankar

A day after Chinese Foreign Minister stated that China and India "have more common interests than differences," Union Minister of External Affairs S Jaishankar on Sunday, August 21 asserted that India is going through a 'difficult phase' as Beijing has disregarded its agreements of not bringing troops into prohibited areas. 

Speaking at an event in Sao Paulo, Brazil, Jaishankar stated, "Right now it's no secret, we're going through a very difficult phase mainly because we had agreements with China going back to the 1990s, which prohibit bringing massive troops into the prohibited areas, they've disregarded that."

This comes almost a month after the two sides held the 16th round of the Corps Commander Level Meeting at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point.

Interestingly, on August 20, the Chinese foreign ministry affirmed that the dialogue between the two countries is "effective" and in line to solve the border issues at the earliest. "China and India maintain smooth communication over the boundary question. And our dialogue is effective,” the Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin said in response to a question over disengagement at the border on the remaining friction points.

On August 18, EAM Jaishankar had said that the relationship between India and China was going through an ‘extremely difficult phase’ after what Beijing had done at the border and emphasised that the Asian Century would not happen if the two neighbours could not join hands. 

India-China standoff

Both the countries have been engaged in a standoff since April-May 2020 over the transgressions by the Chinese Army in multiple areas including the Finger area, Galwan Valley, Hot springs, and Kongrung Nala. The situation worsened after violent clashes with Chinese troops in Galwan Valley in June 2020. Though India acknowledged the deaths of at least 20 soldiers, the Chinese never admitted and lowered the casualties it had faced.   

(With Agency inputs)

Image: PTI