"Important That De-escalation On Border Continues": S Jaishankar, Wang Yi Meet

Foreign minister S Jaishankar -- at his meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi today -- made the point that India and China would move forward with their bilateral relationship after "having seen a difficult period in our relationship" but three key concerns need to be addressed.

In his opening remarks before the meet of Special Representatives of India and China, Mr Jaishankar underscored the need to maintain peace in the border areas, ensure a "multipolar Asia" and an "exchange" of views on terrorism -- a crucial point given China's closeness to Pakistan. 

"The basis for any positive momentum in our ties is the ability to jointly maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas. It is also essential that the de-escalation process move forward," Mr Jaishankar said. 

"The fight against terrorism in all its forms and manifestations is another major priority. I look forward to our exchange of views," the minister said in what was seen as a reference to the recent joint statement at SCO meet that India had refused to sign. The statement had skipped any mention of the Pahalgam terror attack of April 22 and mentioned incidents in Balochistan instead, tacitly suggesting Indian involvement. 

In Mr Jaishankar's opening remarks, there was also a tacit reference to the sudden imposition of 50 per cent US tariff on Indian goods. "In the current environment, there is clearly the imperative of maintaining and enhancing stability in the global economy as well," Mr Jaishankar said.  

India, he added, seeks a "fair, balanced and multi-polar world order, including a multi-polar Asia. Reformed multilateralism is also the call of the day".

China's growing strong-arm tactics in southeast Asia has been a matter of concern for Indo-Pacific democracies. 

For years, China has been involved in territorial disputes in the resource-rich South and East China Seas - an area said to have abundant reserves of minerals, oil and other natural resources.

Beijing claims sovereignty over all of the South China Sea in areas where Vietnam, Malaysia, the Philippines, Brunei and Taiwan have counterclaims.