"As you are all aware, my talks with Foreign Minister Wang Yi have just concluded… We discussed our bilateral relations that have been disturbed as a result of Chinese actions since April 2020. The occasion provided an opportunity to exchange views on major international issues, including Afghanistan and Ukraine. We also took up some other important concerns in our bilateral relationship, including education, travel and commerce," Jaishankar told a briefing.
The minister noted that he was "equally forthcoming that India wants a stable and predictable relationship," adding that "restoration of normalcy will obviously require a restoration of peace and tranquility."
"If we are both committed to improving our ties, then this commitment must find full expression in ongoing disengagement talks," he said, pointing out that the deployments of the Chinese forces "cannot be reconciled with a normal relationship between two neighbours."
The two diplomats also discussed multilateral issues, emphasizing the need for a "long overdue" reform of the UN system, including the Security Council.
It is Wang's first visit to India since a deterioration of relations between the two countries following another round of conflict on the Ladakh border, which erupted in May 2020 and prompted the nations to increase their military presence in the area. The parties held 15 rounds of talks at the level of senior commanders to disengage.
Since May 2020, eastern Ladakh has witnessed numerous standoffs between the two nations, both of which have reinforced their military presence in the area. The standoff has significantly cooled relations between India and China. The absence of a marked border between China and India has been a source of tension for decades. LAC — a loose line of demarcation that separates the territories — was created as a compromise after a brief border war in 1962.