Jaishankar stressed that “India must stand its ground”, adding that resolving tensions with China across the LAC is going to be ‘Critical’

New Delhi: Amid the ongoing standoff between India and China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, External Affairs Minister (EAM) Dr S Jaishankar noted that it will be “difficult for New Delhi to reach to equilibrium with Beijing”.

While speaking to The Times of India in an interview, Jaishankar stressed that “India must stand its ground”, adding that resolving tensions with China across the LAC is going to be ‘critical’.

“The state of the border and future of our ties (with China) cannot be separated. That is the reality,” Jaishankar told The Times of India.

Stressing that India’s relationship with China was bilateral in nature, Jaishankar told The Times of India that it would be a “complete misreading of the Indian position to read them in the context of India’s relationship with the United States (US)”.

However, the two nations have since then tried to de-escalate the tension and have held a series of military-level talks. Last month, National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval also held talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to bring down tension in the region. Both sides commenced the disengagement process from July 6 following the Doval-Wang talks who are Special Representatives for the boundary question.

After the fourth round of Corps commander-level talks, the Army said both sides are committed to "complete disengagement" of troops, adding the process is "intricate" and that it requires "constant verification".