Disengagement work on LAC is complete but… know what Foreign Minister Jaishankar is waiting for now

New Delhi : After the agreement regarding the border between India and China, people have a question as to what will happen next. Foreign Minister S Jaishankar has clarified the picture in this regard. The Foreign Minister said on Tuesday that the ‘Disengagement Chapter’ with China has ended. This marks the end of the recent phase of troop withdrawal in the disputed border areas along the LAC near Depsang and Demchok in eastern Ladakh. The External Affairs Minister said the focus will now shift to de-escalation, which includes a significant reduction in military presence along the LAC. The Foreign Minister was speaking at an event in Canberra, Australia.

Now focus on de-escalation

Regarding the recent talks between India and China on October 21, Jaishankar said that the final disengagement steps include the issue of separation of troops in the disputed areas of Depsang and Demchok in eastern Ladakh. he/she said what we talked about on October 21 was the final set of disengagement agreements, which essentially meant that after the summer of 2020, Chinese and Indian troops were deployed along the LoC at distances that were extremely worrying.

The External Affairs Minister said the first priority has been to find ways to disengage the troops… to resume patrolling… the disengagement chapter has been completed… the part that is waiting for us is de-escalation , which is the buildup of forces on the LoC. Jaishankar further said that in the bilateral meeting between Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, it was agreed that the External Affairs Minister and the National Security Advisor would meet their counterparts.

How complex are India-China relations?

Jaishankar said how do we actually look at this relationship…it is quite challenging, because you have the two most populous countries in the world, both of which are growing in broadly parallel time frames. The External Affairs Minister acknowledged the complexity of striking a ‘balance’ between two large populous countries.

How do you balance each other in the border areas… and also establish a working relationship on other issues, he/she said. This is necessary. As well as how new manifestations of your influence and activities affect relationships. Moreover, it is actually a complex set of issues and requires a lot of thinking and management.

Progress on LAC was welcomed

Earlier on Sunday, while addressing the Indian community in Brisbane, Australia, Jaishankar said that the progress made on LAC was ‘welcome’. Jaishankar had said that this can lead to more positive steps in India-China relations. his/her comments came after Indian and Chinese troops completed disengagement at key friction points in Demchok and Depsang plains in eastern Ladakh.