India's Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar and China's Wang Yi Meet: Agree to Resolve Boundary Issues Quickly

Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Astana on Thursday (4 July), where they both agreed that prolonging the situation at the border is not in the interest of either nation.

The meeting took place on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit being held in Kazakhstan.

Foreign Minister Jaishankar said that India is of the view that ties between the two countries should be based on respect, mutual interest, and mutual sensitivity.

Jaishankar posted on social media platform X saying, “Met with CPC Politburo member and FM Wang Yi in Astana this morning. Discussed early resolution of remaining issues in border areas. Agreed to redouble efforts through diplomatic and military channels to that end. Respecting the LAC and ensuring peace and tranquility in the border areas is essential. The three mutuals – mutual respect, mutual sensitivity, and mutual interest – will guide our bilateral ties.”

The Ministry of External Affairs, in a press release, said that both ministers agreed to resolve the issues at the border as early as possible.

The press release stated, “The two Ministers agreed that the prolongation of the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. EAM highlighted the need to redouble efforts to achieve complete disengagement from the remaining areas in Eastern Ladakh and restore border peace and tranquillity in order to remove obstacles towards return of normalcy in bilateral relations."

It added, "He reaffirmed the importance of fully abiding by relevant bilateral agreements, protocols, and understandings reached between the two Governments in the past. The Line of Actual Control (LAC) must be respected and peace and tranquillity in the border areas always enforced.”

Both ministers also agreed on holding a meeting of the Working Mechanism on Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC) at the earliest.

Indian and Chinese soldiers have been in a standoff along the entire LAC for the last four years since deadly clashes at the Galwan Valley in June 2020.