India Says 'Large' Chinese Military Presence at Border Hampers Bilateral Ties - FARS

 (FNA)- India’s Foreign Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar said on Wednesday that there can be no meaningful cooperation between China and India until Beijing removes its troops from the Indian border and commits itself to “de-escalating” the Ladakh border dispute.

“The relationship right now is going through a very difficult phase because - in violation of agreements and understanding of many, many years - the Chinese have deployed a very large part of their military on, and close to, the Line of Actual Control, without any explanation,” Jaishankar stated during a discussion organised by London-based publication company India Inc, RIA Novosti reported.

The Indian FM is in the United Kingdom for the G7 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting.

“We have been very clear with the Chinese that peace and tranquility in the border areas is absolutely essential for the development of our relations,” added Jaishankar, when asked to comment on the present state of Indo-Chinese relations as well as cooperation between the two Asian powerhouses in tackling COVID-19.

“One can’t have friction, coercion, intimidation and bloodshed on the border and then expect to have a good relationship in other fields. It is not realistic,” the Indian foreign minister continued.

“And that's a position which we have consistently held in our discussions with the Chinese,” he pointed out.

Jaishankar revealed that all he had asked of his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi during a telephone call on April 30 was that Beijing might “facilitate” commercial medical supplies to India as the South Asian nation battled the devastating second wave of coronavirus...