India has warned China that the expectation that the tense situation between both countries at the border can be brushed aside and life returns to normal, is simply not realistic.
These words were said by Indian External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, who provided eight broad points that if implemented, could improve relations between India and China. The Indian minister was speaking at an online conference on India-China ties were he said that any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo will be "completely unacceptable".
He said that relationship between the two countries today are at a crossroads and the choices made by the two will impact not only the region but the entire world. Jaishankar said that China has yet to provide an explanation on amassing troops at the border and crossing into Indian territory. "Significantly, to date, we have yet to receive a credible explanation for the change in China's stance and massing of troops in border areas," he said.
He said that both countries will be able to move forward if they adhered to the agreement on the management of the Line of Actual Control (LAC). "Whether handling of the border areas is concerned, the Line of Actual Control must be strictly observed and respected. Any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo is completely unacceptable," he said.
He highlighted that both countries were committed to a multi-polar world and in the same sense, should be ready to embrace a multi-polar Asia. Jaishankra stressed that relations between the two countries should be based on mutual sensitivity. "Obviously each state will have its interests, concerns and priorities, but sensitivity to them cannot be one-sided. At the end of the day relationships between major states are reciprocal in nature," he said.