Border peace, tranquillity remain basis of normal ties between India, China: Jaishankar

Speaking on the topic “China’s Foreign Policy and International Relations in the New Era” at a conference organised by the Centre for Contemporary China Studies (CCCS), Jaishankar said, “The last few years have been a period of serious challenge, both for the relationship and for the prospects of the continent. The continuation of the current impasse will not benefit either India or China. New normals of posture will inevitably lead to new normals of responses.”

“It is the willingness to take a long-term view of their ties that the two countries must display today,” he said, in a series of tweets.

In a reference to China’s attempts to change the status quo along the border, he said, “The truth is that the prerequisite has been and remains one much more modest; and even that was breached in 2020.”

“Peace and tranquillity in the border areas clearly remains the basis for normal relations. From time to time, this has been mischievously conflated with the sorting out of the boundary question,” he said.

“India’s search for a more balanced and stable relationship with China take it across multiple domains and many options. Given the developments of 2020, they obviously focus on an effective defence of the border. This was notably undertaken even in the midst of Covid,” Jaishankar said.

He said India must prepare to compete “more effectively, especially in our immediate periphery”. He said the Sino-India ties must be based on three mutuals: mutual sensitivity, mutual respect and mutual interest.

“Establishing a modus vivendi between India and China after 2020 is not easy. Yet, it is a task that cannot be set aside. And this can only become sustainable on the basis of three mutuals: mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest,” he said.

On the seven decades of engagement between the two sides, the minister said it would be fair to state that India has essentially taken a determinedly bilateral approach to China.

“Looking back at seven decades of engagement, it would be fair to state that India has essentially taken a determinedly bilateral approach to China. There are many reasons for this including a sense of Asian solidarity and a suspicion of third party interests that emanated from other experiences,” he said.

“Indeed, Indian policy in the past has exhibited a remarkable degree of self-restraint that led to the expectation that others can have a veto over its choices. That period, however, is now behind us. The ‘new era’ is apparently not just for China,” he noted.