External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has said that peace and stability along the India-China border are essential for maintaining normal relations between the two countries. He stressed that any deterioration in the border situation directly affects broader bilateral ties. According to Jaishankar, conditions along the border have improved since 2024, helping both countries move towards normalising their relationship.

India-China Border Dispute Has a Long History
In an interview, Jaishankar said the border dispute between India and China is a longstanding issue that has remained unresolved for decades. He noted that no Indian or Chinese soldier was killed in a border incident between 1975 and 2020. During much of this period, bilateral relations also witnessed improvement.

However, a lasting resolution to the boundary dispute remains a major challenge for both countries.

2020 Clashes Changed the Situation
Jaishankar said tensions escalated along the border in 2020, leading to violent clashes between Indian and Chinese troops in which soldiers from both sides lost their lives.

He pointed out that India was also dealing with the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic at the time. The border incidents significantly altered the existing situation and had a serious impact on relations between New Delhi and Beijing.

Border Tensions Affect Broader Bilateral Ties
The External Affairs Minister emphasised that peace and stability in border areas are fundamental to the overall relationship between the two countries.

According to Jaishankar, negotiations to reduce tensions and improve conditions along the border took several years. He maintained that fully normalising bilateral relations would be difficult unless peace and stability were sustained along the frontier.

India, he said, has consistently raised the issue with China and made it clear that developments along the border cannot be separated from the wider relationship.

Relations Show Signs of Improvement Since 2024
Jaishankar reiterated that India’s position remains clear: progress in other areas of engagement with China depends on stability along the border.

He said conditions in border areas had improved considerably since 2024, creating opportunities for both countries to take steps towards improving bilateral relations.

The minister also highlighted the importance of stability and shared interests amid changing global circumstances. However, the long-standing boundary dispute remains a key issue that the two countries will need to address as they work towards more stable and predictable relations.