Jaishankar Says India China Ties Improve With Border Normalcy
S Jaishankar said India-China relations have improved as the border situation moves closer to normalcy, while sustained calm remains important for further progress.
India-China relations have improved as the situation along the disputed border has moved closer to normalcy, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said during a conversation in New York.
Jaishankar said ties are better than they were in 2025 and have improved further compared with 2024. He linked the change largely to progress in addressing the military standoff that began in 2020, which had affected official exchanges, visas and flights between the two countries, even as trade continued.
According to Jaishankar, India and China have increasingly worked around a basic principle: the condition of the border influences the broader relationship. He said sustained tension along the frontier makes normal relations difficult, while greater stability can create space for improved engagement.
He also said India had consistently maintained that prolonged tensions did not benefit either country. Resolving the border situation, he suggested, allows India to focus on a wider range of international relationships instead of being overly constrained by one bilateral dispute.
During the discussion, Jaishankar also spoke about a world moving towards greater multipolarity. He pointed to changing US alliances, competition between Washington and Beijing and countries' efforts to diversify partnerships and reduce risks.
He said governments are increasingly looking for new economic and strategic partners while adapting to a changing global environment. Against this backdrop, the improvement in India-China ties has provided some space for both sides to rebuild engagement, while sustained calm on the border remains important for further normalisation.
