New Delhi July 26: THE SITUATION along the Line of Actual Control since 2020 had “eroded strategic trust and the public and political basis of the relationship” between India and China, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval told Beijing’s top diplomat, Wang Yi, in what is one of his sharpest statements in three years of the border standoff.

Doval met Wang Yi, a Member of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Political Bureau and Director of the Office of the CPC Foreign Affairs Commission, on the sidelines of the BRICS NSAs’ meeting in Johannesburg late on Monday. On Tuesday, Wang replaced Qin Gang as China’s Foreign Minister.

According to the official readout by the Ministry of External Affairs, “During the meeting, the NSA conveyed that the situation along the LAC in the Western Sector of the India-China boundary since 2020 had eroded strategic trust and the public and political basis of the relationship.”

It said that the NSA “emphasised the importance of continuing efforts to fully resolve the situation and restore peace and tranquility in the border areas, so as to remove impediments to normalcy in bilateral relations”.

“The two sides agreed that the India-China bilateral relationship is significant not only for the two countries but also for the region and world,” it said.

Doval’s message was much more sharply-worded than what was put out after External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s meeting with Wang just about 10 days ago — on the sidelines of the ASEAN Regional Forum (ARF) Ministerial Meeting in Jakarta. Jaishankar had tweeted that he discussed “outstanding issues related to peace and tranquillity in border areas” with Wang. Jaishankar has, in the past, said that the situation in the LAC is “abnormal”.

In March last year, when Wang — as Foreign Minister and State Councillor — had visited India, Doval had told him that an “early and complete disengagement of troops” at points of friction along the border is key to restoring normal ties between the two countries. At that time, Doval had called for removing “impediments” to allow bilateral ties to “take the natural course” and stressed that “actions should not violate the spirit of equal and mutual security”.

Doval had then told Wang that the “continuation of the present situation” is not in mutual interest and that restoring peace and tranquillity would help build mutual trust and create an enabling environment for progress in relations.

At that time, in March last year when the Chinese delegation had invited the NSA to visit China to take forward the mandate of Special Representatives, Doval had made it clear that he could visit after immediate issues were resolved between the two sides.

After the meeting between Doval and Wang in South Africa on Monday, the Chinese official news agency Xinhua reported that during the meeting, Wang said that “China and India are the two major forces in the process of multi-polarization, and the two sides should follow the right direction in developing bilateral relations”.

“The two sides should enhance strategic mutual trust, focus on consensus and cooperation, overcome obstacles and bring bilateral relations back to the track of sound and stable development as soon as possible, Wang said,” the Chinese news agency reported.

It also said that Wang stressed that “China will never seek hegemony, and stands ready to work with developing countries, including India, to support multilateralism and the democratization of international relations, and promote the more just and equitable development of international order”.

According to Xinhua, “Doval said as two ancient civilizations and the two most populous countries in the world, India and China share broad common interests”.

“India is willing to work with China, in the spirit of mutual understanding and mutual respect, to find a fundamental solution to the border issues and improve the bilateral relations in a timely manner, so as to make positive contributions to world peace and prosperity, Doval said,” Xinhua reported

: From Indian express