The latest disengagement of Indian and Chinese troops on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) is only part of a process that must lead to de-escalation and resolution of other issues in the bilateral relationship, said Foreign Minister S Jaishankar on Saturday.

It is reasonable to expect that disengagement will lead to “some improvement” in bilateral relations, although it will be crucial to ensure balance or stability in what is currently a complicated relationship, Jaishankar said at the 22nd Hindustan Times Leadership Summit.

“I see disengagement as disengagement. Nothing more, nothing less. If you look at our current situation with China, we have a problem where our troops are uncomfortably close along the Line of Actual Control, which has forced us to disengage,” Jaishankar said while responding to a question from the editor in HT chief R Sukumar. on whether disengagement amounted to the start of a strategic reset.

The agreement between India and China of October 21 was the last of the disengagement agreements. “So that with its implementation, the disengagement part of the problem is taken care of,” he said.

“After that, there is de-escalation, that is, the regrouping of troops along the LAC and all the developments associated with it. And to this are linked the other aspects of the relationship. So right now, frankly, we’re focused on disengagement.

After the disengagement, he said: “It is reasonable to assume that there will be some improvement in relations.” Asked if that was a reason for optimism, he said: “Maybe the current situation doesn’t necessarily warrant it at the moment. »

Responding to another question on whether the economic and security arms of the government have divergent views on China in the backdrop of the Economic Survey 2024 which called for greater economic engagement with Beijing, Jaishankar said different ministries might have different points of view.

“I think a fairer way of looking at it is that in every government, different ministries have different responsibilities, and out of that responsibility they have a point of view. You are referring to an economic study. In effect, there would be a national security investigation that you wouldn’t be able to see in public, and that would have a national security perspective,” he said.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs is “an integrator of all points of view” and takes a broadly balanced approach. “If someone has a point of view, then we look at it. We’re not saying you can’t have that view, but a view at the end of the day doesn’t constitute a political decision,” he added.

India and China, two countries with large populations and civilizational pasts, are booming, he said. They are also located next to each other, which makes change management more complex. “So how do you get some sort of balance or stability when two big countries are moving so profoundly alongside each other? he said.

It is not easy since the societies, politics, economy and mentalities of India and China are very different, he said. “You have to take all of that into account when developing an approach and that’s why it’s such a complicated relationship,” he added.