China must show 'strategic maturity' in dealing with India: Jaishankar

"It is a long border, as you know no part of the border has been agreed upon on the ground. It is likely that from time to time there are differences," Jaishankar said while responding to questions on the standoff between Indian and Chinese troops in the Doklam area of the Sikkim sector after delivering a lecture on 'India, ASEAN and Changing Geopolitics'.

Underlining that this was not the first time that China and India have had border differences, Jaishankar said, "When such situations arise, I see no reason, when having handled so many situations in the past, we would not be able to handle it."

"This is not to suggest that old problems have been all addressed or that new issues will not arise. India has an alarming trade deficit that in our view emanates from obstacles to market access in China," Jaishankar said.

Jaishankar, while talking of Sino-India ties during the lecture organised by the Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy and the Indian High Commission, said negotiations on the long-standing boundary dispute still continue.

"Differences on issues like terrorism, nuclear energy access and connectivity initiatives have also acquired some prominence," he said, referring to the disagreements with China over Beijing's blocking of efforts to get JeM chief Masood Azhar banned by the UN, denying India entry into the Nuclear Suppliers Group and the China-Pakistan Economic Corridor project which New Delhi is opposed to as it passes through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK).