New York: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that relations between India and China are better today than they were a couple of years ago, attributing the improvement largely to the easing of tensions along the border.
Speaking at an event hosted by the Asia Society in New York, Jaishankar said that if the current relationship was compared with the situation in 2025, there had been an improvement, and the difference was even more noticeable when compared with 2024.
Jaishankar said the improvement was not necessarily the result of a major structural change but followed the stabilisation of a relationship that had been badly affected by the prolonged border standoff after the 2020 clashes.
He said the border situation had a direct impact on the wider relationship between the two countries. According to the minister, once the border standoff began to ease, it was natural for other aspects of bilateral relations to gradually move towards normalcy.
Jaishankar recalled that following the 2020 border tensions, several normal areas of engagement between India and China, including official exchanges, visa arrangements and flights, had been disrupted, although trade between the two countries continued.
The External Affairs Minister also said India had consistently maintained that a prolonged standoff and deterioration in bilateral relations did not serve the interests of either country. He said that prolonged disputes could create opportunities for third parties.
“You can’t have tension on the border and say the relationship should be normal,” Jaishankar said, explaining that as the border situation moves towards normalcy, the broader relationship can also return towards normalcy.
His comments come amid renewed diplomatic engagement between New Delhi and Beijing, including Chinese President Xi Jinping’s recent visit to India for the BRICS Leaders’ Summit.
Jaishankar also spoke about the changing global order, saying countries are increasingly looking at ways to diversify partnerships and reduce risks as the international system becomes more multipolar.
The minister’s remarks indicate that while India-China relations have improved from the difficult period following the 2020 border standoff, the broader relationship remains closely linked to developments along the frontier.
