Relations with China will not be normal until issues from faceoff are resolved

INTERNATIONAL DESK: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Sunday said that relations with China will not be normal until the issue of the face-off that happened at the beginning of the COVID lockdown is resolved.

While addressing the Forum For Nationalist Thinkers, Hyderabad Chapter Talk On ‘India’s G20 Presidency’ in Hyderabad on Sunday, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said that the relations with China will not improve until the issue of the face-off that happened at the beginning of the COVID lockdown is resolved.

Notably, the lockdown during the COVID pandemic began in 2020 and the Galwan face-off between India and China took place in 2020.

The EAM said that today the world is taking notice of the change with which India addresses its issues.

While addressing the issues with China at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) that happened in 2020, the EAM said that we must not forget that it happened when our lockdown had just started.

“We were completely preoccupied with the COVID challenge. Please appreciate the anonymity of what Prime Minister Modi did. He deployed forces at this great height in very difficult conditions in the middle of COVID. And then took this challenge head-on,” he added.

He further said while assuring,” I can tell you the entire world has taken notice of this. They have also noted that since then we have stood firm. We have made it very clear that until there is a resolution to this issue, our relations with China will not be normal.”

“The world takes note of that resolve and determination,” he added.

Recalling some similar incidents, Jaishankar said, “We were not so effective and determined before, we had occasions when we sent them unprepared. But now, whoever is sent is fully equipped and supported.”

He also spoke on how the infrastructure near the border areas has changed, he said that there is a challenge of infrastructure near the borders because it was neglected for a long time.

“Our roads in northern areas have doubled, and tunnelling has tripled,” he added.

“People today say that economy and infrastructure don’t matter. Let me tell you, it matters to the soldiers on the field. If we don’t provide them infrastructure, we are not doing them justice,” the EAM said.

The world is also noticing how India is dealing with the issue of terrorism. “Terrorism has troubled us for a long time. But the rest of the world compares how we reacted to 26/11, and how we reacted to Uri and Balakot. They see the difference,” Jaishankar said.

Speaking on how the world is taking note of India’s actions, EAM also addressed the “leakage problem” on a lighter note.

“I discovered many other countries also had a leakage problem. They asked us how did we fix it. We told them first we fixed the problem by having a different party in power. We then fixed it by applying technology also,” he added. (ANI)