Beijing Hints At New India-China Border Situation, Tells New Delhi To Normalise ‘Transition’

According to a statement issued Friday by the Ministry of National Defense of China, both Beijing and New Delhi should work towards enhancing “mutual trust” between both militaries.

According to a Chinese Defence Ministry statement on the bilateral meeting between their Defence Minister Gen. Li Shangfu and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh in New Delhi Thursday, Beijing and New Delhi should works towards enhancing “mutual trust” between both militaries ( Image Source :PIB )

New Delhi: Denying India’s demand for a return to status-quo ante that existed before April 2020, China Friday said India should promote the new border situation to a “normalised management”, a day after Beijing’s Defence Minister and State Councillor Gen. Li Shangfu held a bilateral meeting with Defence Minister Rajnath Singh. According to a statement issued Friday by the Ministry of National Defense of China, both Beijing and New Delhi should work towards enhancing “mutual trust” between both militaries.

“The two sides should take a long-term view, place the border issue in an appropriate position in bilateral relations, and promote the transition of the border situation to normalized management. It is hoped that the two sides will work together to continuously enhance mutual trust between the two militaries and make proper contributions to the development of bilateral relations,” the statement said.

It also said currently the situation at the India-China border is “stable” even as both sides have continued to have a dialogue with each other at military as well as diplomatic levels.

According to the Chinese Defence Ministry, “Gen. Li said that as major neighboring countries and important developing countries, China and India share far more common interests than differences.”

The People's Liberation Army also said “The two sides should view bilateral relations and each other's development from a comprehensive, long-term and strategic perspective, and jointly contribute wisdom and strength to world and regional peace and stability.”

This comes a day after India told China that by violating the border agreements at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Beijing has “eroded” the fundamental basis of bilateral ties with New Delhi.  

Defence Minister Singh told his Chinese counterpart Li Thursday that all outstanding issues concerning the border between both countries will have to be settled on the basis of existing bilateral agreements and commitments.

India and China have five border pacts, dating back to 1993. These agreements are: 1993 Agreement on Maintenance of Peace and Tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control in the India-China Border Areas, 1996 Agreement on Confidence Building Measures in the Military Field along the LAC, 2005 Protocol on Modalities for the Implementation of the Confidence Building Measures in the Military Field along the LAC, 2012 Agreement on the Establishment of a Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs and 2013 Border Defence Cooperation Agreement.

So far since the standoff began, Indian and Chinese troops have disengaged from the northern and southern banks of the Pangong Tso, Gogra and the Hot Springs, while tensions remain in Depsang Plains and Demchok.

Li, who has been sanctioned by the US for buying arms from Russia, was appointed as the Defence Minister by Beijing last month succeeding Wei Fenghe. This is the first time a Chinese Defence Minister has visited India after the June 2020 Galwan clash between Indian and Chinese troops.

China’s new Foreign Minister Qin Gang has already visited India last month for the G20 Foreign Ministers’ Meeting. He will be coming again next month for the SCO Foreign Ministers’ Meeting that is taking place on May 4-5 in Goa.

Following this in July, Chinese President Xi Jinping is likely to come to New Delhi for the SCO Heads of State Summit.