External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has reiterated that lasting peace and stability along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) remain fundamental to the normalisation of India-China relations.

He stressed that a stable border environment is essential if the broader relationship between the two countries is to progress, warning that any disruption in border areas inevitably affects bilateral ties.

Speaking at the Bloomberg New Economy Forum, Jaishankar said India has consistently conveyed to China that a normal relationship requires peace and tranquillity along the border. According to him, maintaining stability in frontier regions is a practical prerequisite for advancing cooperation in other areas, making it impossible to separate broader engagement from conditions on the ground along the boundary.

He noted that the situation along the LAC has improved significantly since 2024, with tensions easing and the relationship correspondingly moving towards greater normality. Following the conclusion of the military face-off in eastern Ladakh in late 2024, both countries have introduced a series of confidence-building measures aimed at repairing ties that had been strained for more than four and a half years.

Addressing questions on Chinese investment, Jaishankar said India is examining various possibilities as bilateral relations improve. However, he clarified that New Delhi is not demanding a final settlement of the boundary dispute before economic engagement can advance. Instead, the immediate expectation is the preservation of peace and tranquillity along the frontier. He added that any decisions relating to business, market access or investment policies would be considered separately from discussions on resolving the boundary question.

The minister also highlighted significant economic concerns in the relationship. He pointed to the substantial trade imbalance that currently favours China and argued that Indian companies continue to face barriers in sectors where they have been successful globally. According to Jaishankar, Indian businesses have not enjoyed the same level of market access in China as Chinese firms have received in India, creating concerns over the absence of a truly level playing field.

Reflecting on the deterioration in ties, Jaishankar recalled that no blood had been shed along the India-China border between 1975 and 2020, a period during which bilateral relations expanded considerably. He described the events of 2020, when multiple border incidents occurred during the Covid-19 lockdown and culminated in the Galwan Valley clash, as a major break from the long-standing status quo.

Jaishankar said the consequences of those events were clearly visible in the years that followed, as trust between the two countries suffered and relations came under severe strain. He maintained that the restoration of peace and tranquillity along the border has been crucial in enabling recent efforts to rebuild engagement, underscoring India's view that stable border conditions remain the foundation for any sustained improvement in ties with China.

PTI