Jaishankar Says India-China Border Has Become ‘More Alive’

New Delhi: External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the India-China border has become “more alive” in recent years, requiring India to maintain a significantly greater and more sustained military presence along the frontier.

Speaking at the Hindustan Times Leadership Summit 2026 in New Delhi on Saturday, Jaishankar said India’s ability to sustain and deploy forces along the border with China has improved significantly since the Galwan Valley clashes of 2020.

India Strengthens Border Infrastructure

Jaishankar said border infrastructure had been neglected until around a decade ago but has since received greater attention.

He pointed to the increasing frequency with which new tunnels, bridges and airfields are being built or commissioned in frontier regions, saying these projects have improved India’s ability to maintain forces and logistics along the Line of Actual Control.

The External Affairs Minister said the nature of the border now requires a much greater commitment of troops on a sustained basis.

India significantly increased its military preparedness along the LAC after the violent Galwan Valley clash in June 2020, which led to a prolonged deterioration in India-China relations. Twenty Indian soldiers were killed in the confrontation.

India-China Ties Under Gradual Normalisation

Jaishankar’s remarks come as India and China continue efforts to stabilise relations following the more than four-year military standoff in eastern Ladakh.

While diplomatic engagement between the two countries has resumed in several areas, the border and security situation remains an important factor in the broader bilateral relationship.

Jaishankar said India’s improved infrastructure and military capabilities have strengthened its capacity to maintain a sustained presence along the frontier.