NEW DELHI: Minister of Foreign Affairs S Jaishankar on Wednesday it said China had given India up to 5 “different explanations” for the heavy deployment in the LACQUER and that the Sino-Indian relationship was going through the “most difficult phase” due to Beijingviolation of bilateral agreements. He also said that the Galwan clashes in June, which resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers, had completely changed national sentiment.
“Today we are probably in the most difficult phase of our relationship with China, certainly in the last 30 to 40 years,” Jaishankar said during an interactive online session organized by the Australian think tank Lowy Institute. The relationship this year has been badly damaged, he said.
Jaishankar said the “big problem” now was how to get the relationship back on track.
“We are very clear that maintaining peace and tranquility in LAC is the basis for the rest of the relationship to move forward. You can’t have the kind of situation you have at the border and say let’s get on with life. It’s unrealistic, ”he said.
“We have this problem because since 1988, our relationship had its setbacks, we had our problems and differences, but the direction of ties was generally positive,” he added.
He said the relationship progressed in trade, travel, and various other domains, as both parties signed various pacts to maintain peace and tranquility in LAC.
He said that multiple agreements were signed beginning in 1993 with a commitment that both sides will not bring large numbers of troops to the border areas. “Now for some reason, why the Chinese have given us five different explanations, the Chinese have violated it … Naturally, the relationship would be deeply disturbed by this,” he said.
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