Public attitude about China more affected by what is happening on border: Jaishankar

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has said that public attitude in India regarding China has been more affected by border tensions than COVID-19 pandemic.

"I think, frankly, public attitude has been more affected by what is happening at the border. We have a certain history and a mindset out here, so we took COVID-19 as a challenge rather than get into a blame game on this. We did not go down that path," Jaishankar said at an event by Asia Society.

He was answering a query on how has COVID-19 affected the popular attitude in India towards China.

Jaishankar said while there have been viewpoints about how COVID-19 originated and where did it come from, it was not the public focus in India.

"The public focus was that we have got this big challenge, we have to gear up for it, if we are not prepared than what do we do, how do we support each other?" he said.

There has been border stand-off following transgressions by China in eastern Ladakh in April-May.

The two countries have held several rounds of military and diplomatic talks. A statement released after the 7th round of Senior Commanders meeting of India and China held in Chushul on October 12 said the two sides had a sincere, in-depth and constructive exchange of views on disengagement along the Line of Actual Control in the Western Sector of India-China border areas.

"Both sides agreed to earnestly implement the important understandings reached by the leaders of the two countries, not to turn differences into disputes, and jointly safeguard peace and tranquillity in the border areas," it said.

The Indian side has prepared itself for long-term deployment in the high mountainous region in view of the prevailing situation.

( With inputs from ANI )