Jaishankar Meets His Chinese Counterpart in Dushanbe, Discusses Disengagement in Border Areas

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Thursday met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, on the sidelines of the annual summit of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) in Dushanbe, and conveyed that progress in the disengagement process in eastern Ladakh was essential for restoration of peace and tranquillity and that it is the basis for the development of overall ties. Both Jaishankar and Yi have exchanged views on global developments.

Taking to Twitter, Jaishankar said, “Met Chinese FM Wang Yi on the sidelines of SCO Summit in Dushanbe. Discussed disengagement in our border areas. Underlined that progress in this regard is essential for restoration of peace and tranquillity, which is the basis for development of bilateral ties.”

After the meeting, Jaishankar said India does not subscribe to any clash of civilisations theory. “Also exchanged views on global developments. Emphasized that India does not subscribe to any clash of civilisations theory. It is also essential that China does not view its relations with India through the lens of a third country,” he said.

“As for Asian solidarity, it is for China and India to set an example,” Jaishankar said in another tweet.

On Friday, China said it agrees with Jaishankar’s assertion that Beijing should not view its relations with India through the lens of a third country, saying that Sino-India relations have their own “intrinsic logic”.

Earlier, a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement on the Wang-Jaishankar talks in the capital of Tajikistan quoted the Chinese Foreign Minister as saying that China has always been positive to seek a proper solution to the China-India border issue. Asked for his reaction to Jaishankar's remarks, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian told a media briefing here that we agree with the remarks from the Indian side.

China and India are both important Asian countries. For the two countries to develop relations there is an inherent necessary logic. China-India relations never target any third party, Zhao said. To a follow up question, Zhao said, the development of India-China relations follow its own intrinsic logic. China-India relations do not target any third party and are not based on any third party, he said.

In the statement issued by the Chinese Foreign Ministry, Yi noted that the recent communication between the two sides through the foreign and military departments was earnest and effective, and the overall situation in the border area was gradually de-escalated. The Chinese Foreign Minister hoped that India will meet China halfway to move the situation towards stability and shift it from urgent dispute settlement to regular management and control.

Both sides need to consolidate the disengagement results of the front-line troops, and strictly abide by the protocols and agreements and the consensus reached between the two countries, to jointly safeguard the peace and tranquility of the border area and prevent the recurrence of border-related issues, he said.

Yi and Jaishankar had held a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of another conclave of the SCO in Tajikistan’s Dushanbe on July 14. As two major emerging economies, China and India must continue to uphold the strategic consensus of being opportunities of development to each other rather than threats, push the bilateral relationship and practical cooperation onto a healthy and stable track, Wang said during Thursday's meeting.

It serves the common interests of the two countries and benefits regional and world peace and development, the Chinese foreign minister said.

The border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted on May 5 last year following a violent clash in the Pangong lake area and both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry. As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in the Gogra area last month, in a significant forward movement towards the restoration of peace and tranquillity in the region.

In February, the two sides completed the withdrawal of troops and weapons from the north and south banks of the Pangong lake in line with an agreement on disengagement. Each side currently has around 50,000 to 60,000 troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the sensitive sector.

(with inputs from PTI)

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