On Relations With China, Jaishankar Said, “It Takes Two Hands To Clap”

According to Jaishankar, China’s violations of the 1993 and 1996 agreements are the root cause of the current deterioration in bilateral relations.

Speaking on Friday on India’s tense relations with China following the 2020 Galwan incidents, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that Beijing must share Beijing’s belief in a cooperative partnership because it takes two hands to clap.

The minister asserted that the current deterioration in relations between the two nations is “not India’s creation” while delivering the Syama Prasad Lecture: New India and the World in Kolkata.

According to Jaishankar, China’s violation of agreements from 1993 and 1996, which includes sending military near the Line of Actual Control (LAC), is the cause of the deterioration in bilateral relations.

The minister emphasised the necessity for both parties to work together in order to maintain diplomatic relations, but added that China must stop attempting to change the status quo on its own.

“Now, if we are to have a good relationship, I think…they need to follow through on those agreements and cease attempting to change the situation on their own. They must realise that partnerships between big nations can only succeed when they are founded on shared sensitivity, interest, and respect. They must comprehend this. And my goal is to help them comprehend this,” Jaishankar said, according to ANI.

He also emphasised that China’s transgressions of India’s territorial integrity and sovereignty were the most harmful actions. “The actual breach of our sovereignty and territorial integrity—which was committed by China—has affected our interests more than anything. As I mentioned, this started in 1963 and continued to rise because to networking activities.

Jaishankar continued, “We later saw that develop into the so-called China-Pakistan Economic Corridor (CPEC)”.

In order to counter any potential Chinese misadventures, India has also stationed almost as many troops along the Eastern Ladakh region.