India Corrects China's Account of Foreign Minister's Remarks on Sovereignty

Two days after China claimed that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had told Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi that India respects China's sovereignty on issues concerning Taiwan and Tibet, New Delhi on Friday clarified the actual remarks made during their July 22 meeting in Manila.

At the weekly briefing, Ministry of External Affairs official spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said, 'External Affairs Minister said that when it comes to sovereignty issues, it is actually India that should be and is raising them. India does not violate China's sovereignty in any manner and has been consistent. But China is in illegal occupation of Indian territory in Jammu & Kashmir and Ladakh since 1963, where India's right is officially acknowledged even by China. Also, there are Chinese projects on territories in Jammu and Kashmir that belong to India, and we object to that.'

The clarification came after the Chinese Foreign Ministry's readout, published by state-run Xinhua news agency, had stated, 'Jaishankar said that India's positions on issues concerning Taiwan and Xizang have not changed, and India respects China's sovereignty.'

Jaishankar and Wang met on the sidelines of the ASEAN and East Asia foreign ministers meeting in Manila. During the meeting, the Indian minister reiterated that 'peace and tranquility in the border areas is the prerequisite for normal ties'—a position New Delhi has maintained during the six-year border standoff.

Referring to the disengagement agreement reached in October 2024 and completed in November 2024, Jaishankar said, 'Since October 2024, both sides have engaged to ensure that important objective. This will continue to need our constant attention. Relevant mechanisms in this domain must be given full support and strong encouragement.' The pact ended the standoff at Depsang and Demchok, the last friction points in eastern Ladakh, and involved troop withdrawals from several points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

In a broader strategic context, Jaishankar noted, 'It is natural that as two large and important nations, and that too proximate neighbours, India and China would have their own particular interests. That is why our leaders had agreed that differences should not become disputes. It is the responsibility of diplomacy to properly manage them.' This echoed the Indian approach since the 2017 BRICS summit.

According to the Chinese readout, Wang Yi said China is ready to work with India to implement common understandings, maintain close high-level exchanges, strengthen cooperation in trade, media, and cultural fields, and properly handle sensitive issues. Wang, a member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China Central Committee, also called on both countries to contribute to multipolarity and greater democracy in international relations.