Situation not normal, work in progress: Jaishankar gets candid on China

India on Friday pressed China hard to complete the disengagement process in the remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh quickly, asserting that bilateral ties cannot return to normal if the situation in the border areas is "abnormal".

In his nearly three-hour "candid" talks with visiting Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar conveyed that the frictions and tensions triggered by China's military deployments in the region since April 2020 cannot be reconciled with a normal relationship between two neighbours.

IMAGE: Chinese Foreign Minister meets External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar in New Delhi. Photograph:@DrSJaishankar/Twitter

At a media briefing after the talks, Jaishankar said if both sides are committed to improving ties then this commitment must find "full expression" in the ongoing disengagement talks and that relationship is best served by observing the three mutuals -- mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interests.

Describing the current situation as "not normal" and a "work in progress", he also said relations between India and China have been "disturbed" as a result of the Chinese actions in April 2020.

The external affairs minister said he laid out India's principled approach to international relations at the talks, adding it is based on respect for international law, UN Charter and sovereignty and territorial integrity of states.

"Disputes should be resolved without use or threat of use of force. Nor should there be attempts to unilaterally change the status quo," he said, seen as a message to China.

Jaishankar further said the impact of the tensions in the border areas on the overall relationship has been visible in the last two years. "This is only natural since peace and tranquillity in the border areas have been the foundation of stable and cooperative ties."

Wang flew into Delhi from Kabul on Thursday evening in an unannounced trip in the first highest-level visit to India by a Chinese leader after the border standoff in eastern Ladakh erupted nearly two years ago.

According to a statement in Chinese released by China's ministry of foreign affairs in Beijing, Wang said China and India should put the border issue in its "proper place" in bilateral relations, and not allow the boundary issue to define or affect the overall development of their relationship.

Besides the border standoff, the talks covered a range of issues including the Ukraine crisis, the situation in Afghanistan, cross-border terrorism from Pakistan, bilateral trade and investment and the return of the Indian students to China to resume their studies.

IMAGE: External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar with China’s Foreign Minister Wang Yi during their meeting at Hyderabad House, New Delhi, March 25, 2022. Photograph: PTI Photo.

At a separate meeting, National Security Adviser Ajit Doval conveyed to Wang that an early and complete disengagement of troops at the friction points was key to build mutual trust and creating an enabling environment for progress in relations.

The NSA said there was a need to ensure that actions do not violate the spirit of "equal and mutual security" and highlighted the need for resolving the outstanding issues as quickly as possible, official sources said.

The Chinese side also invited Doval to visit China in his capacity as the Special Representative (SR) of boundary talks and the NSA responded positively, saying he could visit after immediate issues are resolved successfully.

People familiar with the development said the Chinese side made a request to the Indian side to facilitate a call-on by Wang with Prime Minister Narendra Modi but it was turned down.

Jaishankar said he was "very honest" in his discussions with Wang, especially in conveying India's national sentiments on the issue and that the disengagement process in eastern Ladakh needs to be taken forward as it is necessary for discussions on de-escalation.

To a question, Jaishankar referred to the presence of a large number of troops in the border region in contravention of laid down norms and agreements and said that peace and tranquillity has been disturbed.

"So, the situation there is not normal. The situation there is not normal, if peace and tranquillity is the foundation of, you know, the basis of how we are going forward, then, obviously, that is also disturbed," he said.

"So, the answer in that sense is, if you ask me, is our relationship normal today? My answer to you is no, it is not. And it cannot be normal, if the situation in the border areas is abnormal. And surely the presence of a large number of troops there, in contravention of agreements is abnormality," he said.

Jaishankar said Wang also spoke about China's desire for a return to normalcy and referred to the larger significance of the ties.

"I was equally forthcoming that India wants a stable and predictable relationship. But restoration of normalcy will obviously require a restoration of peace and tranquillity," he added.

Asked whether Wang talked about inviting Modi to a summit of BRICS (Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa) later this year, Jaishankar said China's hosting of the event figured in the talks.

"Yes, Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and I discussed the Chinese chairing of the BRICS and they spoke obviously about hosting a summit at which they would like naturally the participation of all the leaders," he said.

Referring to a series of military and diplomatic talks between the two sides, the external affairs minister said progress has been achieved on several friction points from the disengagement perspectives and this process needs to be taken forward.

"I would describe our current situation as work in progress, obviously at a slower pace than desirable and my discussions with FM Wang Yi today were aimed at expediting the process," Jaishankar said, adding the military and diplomatic talks produced positive results but they haven't been able to sort out the issue in its entirety.

"Our effort is today to sort out the issue in entirety and deal with the disengagement so that it then allows us to look at the de-escalation possibilities."

The external affairs minister described the talks as a "candid" exchange of views. "We met for about three hours and addressed a broad and substantive agenda in an open and candid manner."

"The occasion provided an opportunity to exchange views on major international issues including Afghanistan and Ukraine. We also took up some other important concerns in our bilateral relationship including education travel and commerce," he said.

India and China have held 15 rounds of military talks so far to resolve the eastern Ladakh standoff. As a result of the talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process last year in the north and south banks of the Pangong lake and in the Gogra area.

China's state-run Xinhua news agency also reported that Wang proposed a three-point approach to achieve the development of bilateral relations. "First, both sides should view bilateral relations with a long-term vision. Second, they should see each other's development with a win-win mentality. Third, both countries should take part in the multilateral process with a cooperative posture," it said.

At the talks, Jaishankar raised the issue of the return of Indian students to China to resume their studies and hoped that Beijing will adopt a "non-discriminatory approach".

"Minister Wang Yi assured me that he would speak to the relevant authorities on his return on this matter. He also recognised the particular concerns that medical students have in this difficult situation," he said.