“If China wants a normal relationship with India, it is essential that stability and peace prevail along the border,” said External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar.
In May 2022, a clash broke out between Indian and Chinese forces in the eastern Ladakh border area. Following that, troops were amassed on the border by both sides, creating a tense situation. After four and a half years, following the ongoing series of talks between the two sides, both countries are taking steps to withdraw troops and improve bilateral relations.
However, China on Tuesday strongly opposed India’s move to name 28 strategically important locations in the area along the international border in the Union Territory of Ladakh.
In this context, at the Bloomberg Economic Forum being held in Delhi, journalists asked S. Jaishankar several questions. In response, he said:
The situation along the India-China border has stabilized since last year, 2024. At present, both countries have been taking steps over the past few months to improve bilateral relations.
India is insisting to China that if it wants normal relations with India, the border must be stable and peace must prevail in the border area, he said.
In response to a question on whether India would allow additional Chinese investment if the border dispute is resolved quickly, Jaishankar said, “In this regard, various possibilities are being considered. At the same time, India is not insisting that the border issue must be resolved in order to improve trade relations. The border issue should not be linked to trade. Any policy India adopts regarding business and market access issues will be dealt with separately.
In addition, India has major economic concerns with China. In particular, in several sectors where India has performed well with other countries around the world, it has not gained market access in China. While we have provided China with equal opportunity, China has not provided us with equal opportunity. The trade balance is not equal; it is one-sided,” he said.
US trade agreement in the final stage
India continues to hold talks on a bilateral trade agreement with the United States. This is now in the final stage, Jaishankar said.
Regarding this, he further said, “As far as the bilateral trade agreement with the United States is concerned, some issues still need to be resolved. I cannot say that openly. The trade ministers, trade representatives, industry ministers, and others from both countries are engaged in continuous talks. They are also resolving differences. I hope the agreement is moving toward its final stage,” he said.
India trying to restore ties - Piyush Goyal
“India is making efforts to restore ties with China,” said Union Commerce and Industry Minister Piyush Goyal, who also participated in the same event.
Regarding this, he further said, ‘India is making efforts to restore relations with China. However, the final decision on that has not yet been taken. If a fair trade agreement is reached, India is ready to cooperate with any country. That is, as long as there is a fair agreement, sustained commitment to it, and the geopolitical situation does not worsen, India is ready to strengthen trade relations with all countries around the world with an open mind,’ he said.
