India and China will consider “other aspects” of their bilateral relationship in a calibrated manner now that they have completed the withdrawal of troops from the last two standoff points on their Himalayan border, India’s foreign minister said on Tuesday. is
The comments came six weeks after New Delhi and Beijing reached an agreement to resolve a four-year military standoff that has damaged ties between the Asian giants, signaling India’s trade ties. Ready to make amends to whoever was harmed.
Relations between the world’s two most populous countries – both nuclear powers – have been strained since 20 Indian and four Chinese soldiers were killed in 2020 in clashes between their troops along the border in the western Himalayas.
India has cut direct air links with China, banned hundreds of Chinese mobile applications, and added layers of scrutiny to Chinese investment, saying relations cannot return to normal without peace on the border. can come
China said the border dispute should not be allowed to stand in the way of the rest of the relationship.
“The end of the disengagement phase now allows us to consider other aspects of our bilateral engagement in a calibrated manner, keeping our national security interests first,” Foreign Minister Subramaniam Jaishankar told parliament without elaborating. gives.”
“We are clear that maintaining law and order in the border areas is a condition for the development of our relations,” he said, adding that top officials and diplomats of the two countries would soon discuss future steps. Will meet.
“In the coming days, we will discuss de-escalation as well as effective management of our activities in the border areas,” Jaishankar said.
The nearly 4,000 km (2,500 mi) largely unmarked border runs along the Himalayas and has been a source of tension between the neighbors for decades, including a brief but bloody war in 1962.
Since 1991, a series of diplomatic negotiations and agreements have stabilized relations, and trade and business ties have increased since the clashes in the summer of 2020.
Chinese President Xi Jinping and Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi held formal talks for the first time in five years, days after the two sides reached an agreement to end a border dispute in October, and agreed to resolve their differences and strengthen ties. Agreed to promote.
Indian officials have said that New Delhi was expected to remain cautious and take only small steps toward developing economic ties, given the trust deficit of the past four years. Resumption of direct flights and fast-track visa approval are expected to be among the first steps, he said.