While he did not refer to “ buffer zones” directl y, Mr. Jaishankar said that “steps of a temporary and limited nature” had been taken in order to avoid further friction, and would be revisited “as the situation demands”.

The next priority will be de-escalation, which would address the massing of troops along the Line of Actual Control, the external affairs minister said.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar addressed the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, noting a positive shift in India-China relations. He admitted that the relationship has been strained since 2020 due to border tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). However, he emphasized that recent diplomatic efforts have begun to mend these ties.

In his statement, Jaishankar gave an account of the background to the current border situation, with the sequence of events, the context of the Indian response and the Galwan clashes, the border infrastructure build-up, and the counter-deployment by the forces.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar on Tuesday said that bilateral relations between India and China have witnessed some improvement after disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.