Stable India-China ties will help build ‘multi-polar Asia’ and ‘multi-polar world’: Jaishankar

Published 7 August 2026 · india

Stable India-China relations will help foster a “multi-polar Asia” and a “multi-polar world”, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said during a meeting with his Chinese

Stable India-China relations will help foster a “multi-polar Asia” and a “multi-polar world”, External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar said during a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Manila. The meeting took place before the Foreign Ministers of the Quad countries, Australia, India, Japan, and the U.S., met on the sidelines of the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in the Philippine capital and reiterated their support for stability in the Indo-Pacific region. In a separate meeting with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, held days after four Indian seafarers were killed in a Russian projectile strike in the Black Sea, Mr. Jaishankar expressed “strong concern” regarding the safety of Indian seafarers. “We believe that a stable and cooperative relationship can best be developed on the basis of mutual respect, mutual interest and mutual sensitivity. Such a relationship can make a valuable contribution to a multi-polar Asia and a multi-polar world,” Mr. Jaishankar said in his remarks, highlighting that “peace and tranquillity in the border areas is obviously the pre-requisite for normal ties.” The comments came against the backdrop of renewed India-China engagement, including the resumption of direct flights, updates to the visa regime, the restart of the Kailash Manasarovar Yatra, and the resumption of border trade.

In this context, Mr. Jaishankar said, “... the steps in normalisation taken over the last few months must be welcomed.” Mr. Jaishankar referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping’s meeting in Kazan in October 2024 and recalled that the two leaders had “agreed that differences should not become disputes”. “It is the duty of diplomacy to properly manage them,” he said. He also raised the importance of “predictability of supply chains” and “fair market access”, which need to be addressed. The India-China ministerial discussion was followed by the meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Quad countries, Australia, India, Japan, and the U.S. on the sidelines of the 59th ASEAN Foreign Ministers’ Meeting in the Philippine capital, which reiterated their support for stability in the Indo-Pacific region The Ministry of External Affairs issued a joint press release on cooperation between the Quad members and the ASEAN countries, stating, “As ASEAN Comprehensive Strategic Partners we, the Secretary of State of the United States and the Foreign Ministers of Australia, India and Japan met today in Manila to reaffirm our commitment to strengthening a free and open Indo-Pacific and our unwavering support for ASEAN unity and centrality.” The Ministers discussed the ASEAN Outlook on the Indo-Pacific (AOIP), transnational security, economic opportunities, critical and emerging technologies, and HADR (Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief).