Amid the ongoing border standoff between India and China, external affairs minister S Jaishankar said on Monday that the ties between the two countries must be based on mutual sensitivity, mutual respect and mutual interest, to return to a “positive trajectory”.
Speaking at the launch of the Asia Society Policy Institute, the external affairs minister said, the state of the border will determine the state of the relationship between India and China.
For ties to return to a positive trajectory and remain sustainable, they must be based on the three mutuals: mutual sensitivity, mutual respect and mutual interest,” he said.
“Their current status is, of course, well known to all of you. I can only reiterate that the state of the border will determine the state of the relationship,” he added.
Jaishankar’s statement came amid the long-standing military standoff between the two countries at several friction points in eastern Ladakh.
Indian and Chinese troops have been locked in a border standoff at a number of friction points in eastern Ladakh since May 2020 following a violent clash in the Pangong Lake areas.
The two sides have so far held 16 rounds of high-level military talks to resolve the tension and also disengaged in several areas in the region but the impasse continues without any major breakthrough.
India has been consistently maintaining that peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) were key for the overall development of bilateral ties.
Last week, Jaishankar had said that it was no secret that the relationship between India and China was going through a very difficult phase.
“We need that mutual respect and mutual sensitivity. Right now it is no secret we are going through a very difficult phase,” he said, adding that relationships are a two-way street and a lasting relationship cannot be a one-way street.
