India unsure of China’s commitment on troop reduction

NEW DELHI:  External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that China’s troop deployment along the border with India and uncertainty over fulfillment of its promise of troop reduction still remains a challenge confronting the two countries.

“The issue is whether China would live up to the commitments it has made written commitments about both countries not allowing a large armed force at the border,” the external affairs minister said at the Qatar Economic Forum, adding that the India-China issue pre-dated the formation of the Quad.

The US, India, Japan and Australia have come together on a common agenda which includes maritime security and connectivity. Answering queries relating to the border situation with China in Ladakh, the minister said this particular issue goes back a long way.

Jaishankar also urged the US and Europe to boost vaccine production. “A lot of the supply chain relating to vaccines originates in the US. A lot of it comes from Europe as well. I think, the US and Europe need to step forward if India has to ramp up its own production.

The world doesn’t have enough vaccines. Patents are one part of it, but production is the other part. And in India we are producing the AstraZeneca vaccine. There are six other vaccines which are expected to come on stream in the coming months,” the minister added.