India-China ties moving in the direction of improvement, says EAM Jaishankar in Lok Sabha

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said ties between India and China, which remained ‘abnormal’ ever since the 2020 border clash, have moved in the direction of improvement, following continuous diplomatic engagement.

Speaking at the Lok Sabha (Lower House of the Indian Parliament), Jaishankar said: “Our ties have been abnormal since 2020 when peace and tranquillity in the border areas were disturbed as a result of Chinese actions.”

The EAM said: “Recent developments that reflect our continuous diplomatic engagement since then have set our ties in the direction of some improvement.”

Ending the longstanding standoff that erupted following the 2020 Galwan Valley clash, India and China recently announced a breakthrough to resume patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

Following the disengagement, the troops of the two Asian giants returned to the status which prevailed before the deadly Galwan clash in 2020.

Galwan Clash

The Galwan skirmish erupted from a dispute over a temporary bridge built by the Chinese in the Galwan River valley in northern India’s Ladakh.

On June 15, 2020, Indian and Chinese troops engaged in a six-hour clash in the rugged terrain of Ladakh, engaging in hand-to-hand combat with makeshift weapons such as stones, batons, and iron rods.

The face-off occurred in near-complete darkness and freezing temperatures, leading to fatalities as soldiers fell or were pushed from ridges.

Twenty Indian soldiers were martyred in the clash, while China officially acknowledged four casualties, although reports indicate higher Chinese losses, as soldiers drowned in the choppy waters of the Galwan River.

Among the Indians, Colonel B Santosh Babu, the Commanding Officer of the 16th Bihar Regiment, was martyred during the unprovoked aggression by PLA troops.

The Galwan clashes highlighted China’s aggressive stance towards its neighbouring countries.

Many observers on social media noted similarities between the Chinese attack on Philippine navy ships and the 2020 Galwan Valley clash.