India-China Ties Going Through a ‘Very Difficult Phase’: EAM Jaishankar

Jaishankar said the "state of the border will determine the state of the relationship".

Image of EAM S Jaishankar and India-China flags used for representational purposes.

(Photo: Altered by The Quint / Arnica Kala)

While addressing the Munich Security Conference (MSC) 2022 Panel Discussion in Munich, aimed at deliberating on the escalating tension between the NATO countries and Russia over Ukraine, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday, 19 February, that India's relations with China right now was going through a "very difficult phase" after Beijing violated border agreements.

Jaishankar highlighted that the "state of the border will determine the state of the relationship… And the problem is that for 45 years there was peace, there was stable border management, there were no military casualties on the border from 1975," news agency PTI reported.

However, he added, "that changed because we had agreements with China not to bring military forces to the… we call it the border but it's Line of Actual Control, and the Chinese violated those agreements."

The eastern Ladakh border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries had erupted after a violent clash in the Pangong lake areas leading to both sides enhancing their deployment of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry.

The tension between the two countries had escalated following a deadly clash in the Galwan Valley on 15 June 2020 in eastern Ladakh that led to the death of 20 Indian and five Chinese soldiers.

Meanwhile, Jaishankar, who was in Melbourne last week, had said that the situation at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) has arisen due to the disregard of written agreements by China not to mass soldiers at the border and noted that Beijing's actions have become an issue of "legitimate concern" for the entire international community, PTI reported.

(With inputs from PTI.)