Jaishankar, Chinese envoy hold talks on bilateral ties, common interest in stabilisation & progress

“Honoured to call on External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar today,” said Feihong Tuesday. “We exchanged views on China-India relations and other issues of common interest…”

Last week, China had expressed “strong concern” over the visit of a high-level US Congress delegation to Dharamshala to meet the Dalai Lama. A bipartisan US Congressional delegation, led by House Foreign Affairs Committee Chairman Michael McCaulis, had visited India to strengthen bilateral ties and meet the Tibetan spiritual leader.

However, India reiterated its stance on His Holiness’ position, emphasising his “revered” status and the respect accorded to him by the Indian people.

Earlier this month, after PM Modi won his third successive term, the Chinese Foreign Ministry had protested the exchange of messages between Taiwan President Lai Ching-te and Modi after the poll results.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning had said India “has diplomatic relations with China. China opposes all forms of official interactions between the Taiwan authorities and countries having diplomatic relations with China.”

With an estimated 50,000-60,000 troops posted on either side of the India-China border in eastern Ladakh for almost four years now, India has advocated finding a fair and reasonable outcome to the issue, which doesn’t change the status quo at the LAC.

Speaking at the Express Adda in March, Jaishankar had said the situation is “very tense and dangerous” and that it’s in the common interest of both countries to not have “that many forces on the Line of Actual Control (LAC)”.