India on Thursday reiterated that its relationship with China is “not normal” and that both sides are engaged in diplomatic and military talks to resolve the pending issues in eastern Ladakh.

“Our position on China is very well known. It is a relationship which is not normal but we have had dialogues both on the military side as well as on the diplomatic side,” External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

His remarks came in response to a question on the situation in eastern Ladakh.

Jaiswal also referred to the last rounds of military and diplomatic talks between the two sides in October and November respectively. “The idea is that we engage so that we can have some sort of resolution,” he said.

In the military talks on October 9 and 10, the two sides exchanged views in an open and constructive manner for an early and mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector.

The government refers to eastern Ladakh as the Western Sector.

On the diplomatic talks that took place on November 30, Jaiswal said both sides had an in-depth and constructive discussion and looked at proposals to resolve remaining issues and achieve complete disengagement in eastern Ladakh.

The Indian and Chinese troops are locked in an over three-and-half-year confrontation at certain points in eastern Ladakh even as the two sides completed disengagement from several areas following extensive diplomatic and military talks.

The eastern Ladakh border standoff erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong lake area.