Vikrant Shekhawat : Sep 13, 2024, 06:00 AM
India-China News: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has given important updates on the India-China border dispute in eastern Ladakh in a recent dialogue session held in Geneva, Switzerland. In a conversation with the think tank 'Geneva Center for Security Policy', Jaishankar gave positive signals regarding the status of withdrawal of troops on the border, but he also expressed concern about the increasing militarization on the border.Jaishankar said that about 75 percent of the problems related to the withdrawal of troops on the border have been resolved. He also told that some issues still need to be resolved between the Indian and Chinese soldiers. But, the problem is not limited to the withdrawal of troops only. He made it clear that the problem of increasing militarization on the border is a serious concern, which needs a solution. Jaishankar said, "How to deal with this? We have to deal with it."Shadow of Galwan conflictThe Foreign Minister described the violence in June 2020 in the Galwan Valley as a serious blot on India-China relations. He said that after the violence on the border, it is difficult to say that the rest of the relationship has not been affected by it. Jaishankar stressed that relations between the two countries were normalized in the late 1980s, and it was based on peace and stability. But, the situation has changed profoundly after the Galwan conflict.He said that the conflict in 2020 violated many agreements and what happened on it is not yet fully clear. Jaishankar admitted that China deployed a large number of troops on the Line of Actual Control on the border, in response to which India also sent its troops. During this time, the situation of Kovid-19 lockdown made the situation more complicated.Hope for improvement in relationsJaishankar also said that if the issue of withdrawal of troops is resolved, then the relations between the two countries can improve. He hoped that after the return of peace, both the countries can also consider other possibilities. However, he also made it clear that till peace is not established in the border areas, relations between India and China cannot be normal.Current situation and future directionAt present, there is a deadlock between India and China at some friction points. Both sides have completed the withdrawal of troops from several areas after extensive diplomatic and military talks, but more efforts are still needed towards peace on the border. Jaishankar also mentioned that after four years of talks, the withdrawal of troops (disengagement) can be seen as a positive step.During Jaishankar's visit, he also visited Saudi Arabia and Germany, and now in his last leg, he shared this important information on the border dispute through a dialogue session in Switzerland. This situation makes it clear that further vigilance and coordination is required to improve relations between India and China.