Beijing, July 14 – External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar on Monday told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi that India and China must work to reduce border tensions, de-escalate troop presence along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), and refrain from imposing trade restrictions, if bilateral ties are to move forward.
“It is now incumbent upon us to address other aspects related to the border, including de-escalation,” Jaishankar told Wang during a bilateral meeting in Beijing, according to a statement released by India’s Ministry of External Affairs (MEA). He added that managing border frictions is essential for strategic trust and the broader stability of relations.
This is Jaishankar’s first visit to China since the military standoff erupted in May 2020, and his remarks mark India’s second high-level call in under three weeks for concrete steps to resolve LAC tensions. Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had earlier pressed for a “permanent solution” to border demarcation during a meeting with Chinese Defence Minister Admiral Dong Jun.
The two countries do not share a formally demarcated border. The LAC serves as the de facto line separating Indian and Chinese troops. Although both sides agreed in October last year to disengage at two key friction points, further troop pullbacks remain pending.
Jaishankar acknowledged recent progress toward normalisation, crediting it to friction resolution and relative calm along the frontier. “This is the fundamental basis for mutual strategic trust and for smooth development of bilateral relations,” he said.
Touching on trade tensions, Jaishankar raised India’s concerns over China’s export restrictions on rare earth elements critical to electronics manufacturing. “It is essential that restrictive trade measures and roadblocks are avoided,” he said, urging Beijing to adopt a long-term view of the relationship.
Since the October 2024 meeting between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping in Kazan, India and China have signalled cautious optimism. “Our responsibility is to maintain that momentum,” Jaishankar told Wang.
He also suggested holding regular bilateral meetings and stressed the importance of normalising people-to-people exchanges. “Stable and constructive ties between India and China are best done by handling relations on the basis of mutual respect, mutual interest, and mutual sensitivity,” he said.
Cautioning against rising tensions, Jaishankar concluded: “Differences should not become disputes, nor should competition ever become conflict.”
