EAM S Jaishankar holds talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in New Delhi
External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in New Delhi today. Briefing media following the talks, Dr Jaishankar said they discussed bilateral relations that have been disturbed as a result of Chinese actions in April 2020. They addressed a broad, substantive agenda in an open and candid manner during the three-hour-long meeting.
He said the occasion provided an opportunity to exchange views on major international issues, including Afghanistan and Ukraine. Other important concerns in bilateral relationship including education, travel and commerce were also taken up.
Dr Jaishankar described the current situation with China as a ‘Work in Progress’, which is at a slower pace than desirable. He said the impact of tension in border areas on the overall Indian China relationship has been visible in the last two years. He said this is only natural since peace and tranquility in border areas has been the foundation of stable and cooperative ties.
He stressed that frictions and tensions that arise from China’s deployment since 2020 cannot be reconciled with normal relations between the two neighbours. He said Foreign Minister Wang Yi spoke about China’s desire for a return to normalcy.
Dr Jaishankar pointed out that India wants a stable and predictable relationship but restoration of normalcy would require restoration of peace and tranquility. He said that where India and China are concerned, the relationship is best served by observing the three Mutuals – Mutual Respect, Mutual Sensitivity and Mutual Interest.
The Minister said that so far as Afghanistan is concerned, India’s policy is guided by the UN Security Council Resolution 2593. On Ukraine, both the Ministers discussed respective approaches and perspective but agreed that diplomacy and dialogue must be the priority.
During the meeting, Dr Jaishankar also took up the predicament of Indian students studying in China who have not been allowed to return citing COVID restrictions. He hoped that China will take a non-discriminatory approach since it involves future of many young people.
