China's actions disturbed peace & tranquility of border areas: Jaishankar

New Delhi, May 5: "The relationship with China is going through a very difficult phase. Their actions have disturbed the peace & tranquility of the border areas," External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday giving a brief on the relations between India and China.

  

The Minister also said that China has deployed a very large part of the military on or close to the Line of Actual Control (LAC) without explanation violating several agreements and understandings of many years.

 

 

Further, he added, "The relationship with China is going through a very difficult phase. Their actions have disturbed the peace & tranquility of the border areas. We can’t have bloodshed on the border & expect good relations in other domains." He also informed about the current status quo." India and China have made some progress in some areas. We haven't come to the de-escalation part of it which will follow after disengagement is done."

 

 

The minister further said that his last conversation with the Chinese counterpart focused on Covid-19 and he told the Chinese foreign minister to help with the difficulties faced by Indian firms ordering stuff from China. There were reports of difficulties being faced by some US firms also in sending medical shipments to India from China.

 

"The last conversation with China was focused on COVID-19 and the Chinese foreign minister also said the same to me," he said, adding, "During the conversation with the Chinese Foreign Minister, I told him that the best way you could help would be to look into the difficulties being faced by some of our companies that are ordering stuff from China. After our conversation, things immediately moved."

 

 

Notably, Chinese President Xi Jinping had also written to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and expressed readiness to strengthen cooperation with India in its fight against the coronavirus pandemic.