S Jaishankar gives stern 'state of border...' message to China after meeting with counterpart
S Jaishankar also said there was a need for the Chinese side to ensure full respect for the Line of Actual Control.
External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Thursday met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meetings. He later sent out a stern message to China, saying the state of the border would be reflected in the "state of our ties".
S Jaishankar also said there was a need for the Chinese side to ensure full respect for the Line of Actual Control – the de-facto border between India and China – and past agreements.
“Met with CPC Politburo member and FM Wang Yi in Vientiane today. Continued our ongoing discussions about our bilateral relationship. The state of the border will necessarily be reflected on the state of our ties,” S Jaishankar said in a post on X after meeting with Wang on the sidelines of the ASEAN Foreign Ministers' Meetings.
The Jaishankar-Wang talks came amid the dragging border row in eastern Ladakh that entered its fifth year in May.
"Agreed on the need to give strong guidance to complete the disengagement process. Must ensure full respect for the LAC and past agreements. It is in our mutual interest to stabilise our ties. We should approach the immediate issues with a sense of purpose and urgency," he added.
India and China's relationship deteriorated after 20 Indian Army soldiers died in the line of duty in a brutal clash with the Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in June 2020. Several Chinese soldiers also died in the hand-to-hand combat.
Jaishankar is on a visit to Vientiane from July 25 to 27 to take part in the Foreign Ministers' Meetings under the ASEAN framework in the format of the ASEAN-India, East Asia Summit (EAS), and ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF).
The visit underlines India's deep engagement with and the importance India attaches to the ASEAN-centred regional architecture, our strong commitment to ASEAN unity, ASEAN centrality, the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP) and taking forward the ASEAN-India Comprehensive Strategic Partnership, according to the Ministry of External Affairs.
With inputs from PTI, ANI