LAC Stand-Off With China: Jaishankar Says Situation 'Fragile, Quite Dangerous' According To Military Assessment

Speakig at the India Today Conclave 2023, India's Minister of External Affairs, S Jaishankar, asserted that India's relationship with China can only return to normalcy after resolving all outstanding issues at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

He acknowledged that the bilateral ties between the countries are currently in a "challenging and abnormal phase" due to heightened tensions at the Himalayan border and along the LAC in Arunachal Pradesh.

While both nations have made significant progress in disengagement and are discussing scaling down troop build-up at other friction points, Jaishankar warned that the situation remains "fragile" and "dangerous" as per military assessment.

"The situation, to my mind, remains very fragile because there are places where our deployments are very close, and in military assessment, actually quite dangerous," the minister told the gathering.

Jaishankar recollected his recent meetings with his Chinese counterparts, stating that he and Wang Yi had come to an understanding on resolving the border crisis. He also met with the new Chinese foreign minister Qin Gang, who was in Delhi recently for the G20 Foreign Ministers' meeting, and emphasized that a breach of peace cannot be overlooked to continue the relationship as usual. He made it clear that China must resolve the border situation to move forward.

After the deadly clash between Indian Army and Chinese PLA troops in eastern Ladakh's Galwan, the relationship between India and China took a severe hit. It led to a significant build-up of forces in the high altitude region, resulting in a stand-off that continues to this day.

Although de-escalation efforts have been made, tensions between the countries along the LAC continue to simmer.

In December 2022, troops from both sides clashed near the Tawang sector of Arunachal, marking the first major incident in over a year.

Both India and China are actively constructing infrastructure along the LAC. India has continued to push ahead with the construction of roads, bridges, and tunnels along the LAC to make the movement of troops and equipment to the border with Tibet easier. It is also investing heavily in the development of border villages under the Vibrant Villages Programme.

Also Read: Explained: 'Vibrant Villages Programme' For The Northern Border With China And What India Wants To Achieve With It