Jaishankar: India-China ties improving since Modi-Xi Kazan meet, border peace key

External affairs minister S Jaishankar on Wednesday stated that relations between India and China have been steadily improving since Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping met in Russia's Kazan in October 2024. He emphasised that peace and tranquility along the border remain the 'pre-requisite' for normal bilateral ties.

Speaking to Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi in Manila on the sidelines of the ASEAN foreign ministers' meeting, Jaishankar also raised India's concerns over market access, trade imbalance and predictability of supply chains. The dialogue comes as New Delhi and Beijing continue efforts to normalise ties after the prolonged military standoff in eastern Ladakh.

'Since the meeting of our leaders in Kazan in October 2024, relations between India and China have been gradually normalising. This direction was further affirmed when they met in Tianjin last August,' Jaishankar said.

He said India believes that a stable relationship between the two neighbours must be based on 'mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity.' 'We believe that a stable and cooperative relationship can best be developed on the basis of mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity. Such a relationship can make a valuable contribution to a multi-polar Asia and a multi-polar world,' he added.

Underscoring the importance of stability along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Jaishankar said normal ties cannot progress without peace in the border areas. 'Peace and tranquility in the border areas is obviously the pre-requisite for normal ties. Since October 2024, both sides have engaged to ensure that important objective,' he said. 'This will continue to need our constant attention. Relevant mechanisms in this domain must be given full support and strong encouragement.'

Jaishankar also reiterated that differences between the two countries should not be allowed to turn into disputes. '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,' he said.

The external affairs minister said India expects progress on long-pending economic issues, including fair market access and trade. 'Fair market access and a trade balance ranks high in that regard. There are also concerns about predictability of supply chains. Facilitating both official and people-to-people exchanges merit our attention,' Jaishankar said. 'We also need to agree on the meetings of various mechanisms and platforms as per our mutual priorities.'

Jaishankar welcomed the confidence-building measures taken over the past several months, including the resumption of direct flights, the easing of visa rules, the restart of the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra and the reopening of border trade.

He also thanked China for supporting India's initiatives during its BRICS chairmanship. 'India is the chair of the BRICS this year. Let me take the opportunity to appreciate the support that China has given to various BRICS activities and initiatives during our chairship,' he said.