'Respecting LAC Essential’, Jaishankar Tells Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi In Astana
New Delhi makes it clear to Beijing that India’s stance on normalising bilateral ties with China will remain same under Modi 3.0 — no business as usual unless there is ‘peace and tranquility’ at LAC.
India-China News: India Thursday categorically told China that even under Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s third tenure New Delhi’s stance with Beijing will remain the same. The bilateral ties cannot be normalised unless there is peace and tranquility in the border areas. In his first meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi after being reappointed as the External Affairs Minister, S. Jaishankar Thursday said that “respecting LAC (Line of Actual Control) is essential”.
Both ministers met on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) Summit in Astana. They had last met in February on the sidelines of the Munich Security Conference, which was their first face-to-face meeting in over six months even as tensions in the LAC, or the de-facto India-China border, continued to simmer.
“Met with CPC Politburo member and FM Wang Yi in Astana this morning. Discussed early resolution of remaining issues in border areas. Agreed to redouble efforts through diplomatic and military channels to that end,” said Jaishankar in a tweet after the meeting.
He also said, “Respecting the LAC and ensuring peace and tranquility in the border areas is essential. The three mutuals - mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest - will guide our bilateral ties.”
However, both sides seemed to have come to one common understanding on “redouble efforts” by way of enhancing the diplomatic and military-level talks in order to resolve the ongoing border standoff that began in eastern Ladakh in May 2020.
Also Read on ABP LIVE | What’s Ladakh Situation 4 Years Since India-China Standoff Began? Entire LAC Now ‘Alive’, Locals Live In Fear
'Prolongation Of Current Situation Not In Interest Of Either Side'
The MEA said both Jaishankar and Wang agreed prolonging the current situation in the border areas was "not in the interest of either side".
"The two Ministers had an in-depth exchange of views on finding an early resolution of the remaining issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh to stabilize and rebuild bilateral relations," the ministry said in a press release.
It added: "The two Ministers agreed that the prolongation of the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side. EAM highlighted the need to redouble efforts to achieve complete disengagement from the remaining areas in Eastern Ladakh and restore border peace and tranquillity in order to remove obstacles towards return of normalcy in bilateral relations."
The MEA also said the Jaishankar stressed the importance of "fully abiding by relevant bilateral agreements, protocols, and understandings reached between the two Governments in the past".
"The Line of Actual Control must be respected and peace and tranquillity in the border areas always enforced," he was quoted as saying.
The Indian Army as well as the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have done mirror deployment with a huge deployment of troops along the entire 3,488 km-long LAC with high level of combat preparedness. India has deployed more than 1 lakh troops at the LAC similar to that of the PLA.
Following several rounds of talks at the diplomatic and military level both sides have done complete disengagement from some of the areas such as the Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso, Gogra (Patrolling Point or PP-17A) and Hot Springs (PP-15).
The meeting with the Chinese Foreign Minister in Astana came after Jaishankar held a discussion with the Chinese Ambassador to India Xu Feihong and spoke about “stabilisation and progress” in the ties.
In an interview earlier to ABP LIVE, Lt Gen. Rakesh Sharma (Retd), Former Commander of XIV Corps, or The Fire and Fury Corps, that faces China as well as Pakistan, said the entire LAC is “alive now”.
“After four years, we cannot say what is happening in eastern Ladakh is a standoff. And it must not be taken as eastern Ladakh. It must be taken as complete northern borders right from the Karakoram Pass till Kibithu (in Arunachal Pradesh),” he said.
In March this year, during diplomatic-level talks, India pushed for “complete disengagement” while resolving the remaining issues along the LAC.
As a temporary resolution to the standoff in eastern Ladakh, both sides have created huge buffer zones along the LAC that has taken away patrolling rights of the Indian Army from some of the areas.
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