Ties with China in very difficult phase: EAM S Jaishankar

He said actions by the Chinese clearly cast a shadow on ties between the two nations.

"Right now it is no secret, we are going through a very difficult phase mainly because we had agreements with China going back to the 1990s, which prohibit bringing massive troops into the prohibited areas, they have disregarded that," he said.

"You know what happened in the Galwan Valley. That problem has not been resolved and that has been clearly casting a shadow," he added.

The Minister who arrived here as part of the first leg of his six-day visit to South America said relationships are a two-way street and a lasting relationship cannot be a one-way street.

"If we have to build a relationship then there has to be mutual respect, we need to be sensitive to each others' concerns," he added.

Jaishankar's comments came a day after the Chinese Foreign Minister said "China and India have more common interests than differences".

India and China have signed several border agreements to maintain peace and tranquility along the Line of Actual Control but the People's Liberation Army is known to disregard those pacts time and again. More than 50,000 soldiers continue to be deployed on both sides of the LAC.

Altering the May 2020 status, the PLA has also carried out construction of infrastructure near the LAC to ensure long survival of troops in the high altitude area.

Jaishankar is also visiting Paraguay and Argentina during the tour to boost overall bilateral ties.

(With UNI inputs)