(TibetanReview.net, May06’21) – India’s relationship with China is going through a “very difficult phase” despite the fact that recent discussions had yielded positive results in terms of easing the flow of logistics during the Covid-19 pandemic in the country, reported the PTI May 5, citing the country’s External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar.
“I can’t have friction, coercion, intimidation and bloodshed on the border and then say let’s have a good relationship in other domains. It’s not realistic. That is something we have maintained and been discussing with the Chinese. We have made some progress in some areas, the disengagement process, and in some areas it’s still an ongoing discussion,” Jaishankar has said.
“But we haven’t come to the de-escalation part of it, which will follow only after disengagement is done,” he has added.
Jaishankar has further said, “The relationship right now is going through a very difficult phase, because in violation of agreements and understandings of many, many years the Chinese have deployed a very large part of their military on and close to the Line of Actual Control without explanation.
“They continue to be there now for a year. And, their actions have disturbed peace and tranquility in the border areas. We saw bloodshed there last June after 45 years.”
The minister has said India was very clear that peace and tranquility in the border areas was absolutely essential for a good relationship.
India and China were locked in military standoff at multiple friction points in eastern Ladakh since early May last year but they have completed withdrawal of troops and weapons from the North and South banks of Pangong Lake in February following a series of military and diplomatic talks. The two sides are now engaged in talks to extend the disengagement process to the remaining friction points.
Referring to the only positive thing about the relationship between the two countries, Jaishankar has referred to his recent discussions with his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi. “The last conversation was significantly focused on the Covid pandemic and my discussions were essentially that Covid is something bigger and it is in our mutual interest to work together to deal with it and that’s what Foreign Minister Wang Yi told me as well,” he has said.
The Indian minister had informed Wag that Indian companies ordering supplies from China were encountering difficulties and his message to the Chinese minister had been that the best support they could offer would be to ease that process.
“After our conversation, things did move. Some of our airlines immediately got their approvals. The chain is flowing, which is very laudable,” he has said.
Jaishankar was in the UK to participate in the G7 Foreign and Development Ministers Meeting as a guest minister.
Meanwhile, China has expressed concern May 5 over India’s move to not grant any Chinese firm permission to participate in 5G trials in the world’s second-largest internet market as the two nations struggled to navigate business ties amid their geo-political tensions, noted techcrunch.com May 6.
China had previously warned India against excluding its companies like Huawei and ZTE from the latter’s 5G trials.
India’s move earlier this week follows similar decisions taken by the US, U.K. and Australia, all of which have expressed concerns about Huawei and ZTE and their ties with the Chinese government.
