The deadlock is the most serious since India and China found themselves in a confrontation similar to Doklam.
New Delhi:
India and China have agreed to “peacefully resolve the situation in border areas in accordance with various bilateral agreements,” the foreign ministry said today in the aftermath of high-level talks between military personnel. two countries close to eastern Ladakh. .
The talks were requested by India and took place on Saturday at the border personnel meeting point in Maldo, on the Chinese side of the Line of Effective Control (LAC).
“It took place in a cordial and positive atmosphere. The two sides agreed to resolve the situation in the border areas peacefully in accordance with various bilateral agreements and keeping in mind the agreement between the leaders that peace and tranquility in the border regions between India and China is essential for the overall development of bilateral relations, “the foreign ministry said in a statement.
The Indian delegation was chaired by Lieutenant-General Harinder Singh, commander of the 14 corps, while the Chinese side was chaired by the commander of the Tibet Military District. Multiple talks at the local level by regional military commanders had made no progress.
“The two sides also noted that this year marks the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and agreed that an early resolution would contribute to the further development of relations,” said the foreign ministry.
The government also said that New Delhi and Beijing “will continue military and diplomatic commitments to resolve the situation and ensure peace and tranquility in the border areas”.
India claims Chinese military obstructs normal patrol of troops along LAC in Ladakh and Sikkim, and strongly refutes Beijing’s claim that escalation of tensions between the two armies was triggered by an intrusion of Indian forces on the Chinese side.
The deadlock in eastern Ladakh lies in at least five key areas where India and China have had traditional differences in the perception of LAC in the region. The current tension between the two sides became very clear when reports of skirmishes between soldiers of the two sides were reported in the Pangong Lake area on May 5 and 6.
Since the clashes, there have been multiple reports of Chinese infantrymen intruding into areas such as Demchok to the south, the finger region on the eastern shores of high-altitude Pangong Lake, the Galwan basin, and more recently Gogra’s post. There has also been an increase in Chinese activity to the north, towards the Daulat Beg Oldie region.
The likely trigger of the confrontation was strong opposition from China to the laying by India of a key road in the Finger region around Lake Pangong Tso and the construction of another road connecting the Darbuk-Shayok road. -Daulat Beg Oldie in the Galwan Valley.
The deadlock is the most serious since India and China, which waged a brief war in 1962, were locked in a similar confrontation in Doklam, in the eastern Himalayas, which lasted nearly three months in 2017.
A day before the meeting at the military level, Friday, India and China promised not to let their “differences” become disputes and agreed to manage them through peaceful dialogue while respecting their respective sensitivities and concerns. The positive approach was taken during a diplomatic dialogue by videoconference between Naveen Srivastava, co-secretary (East Asia) at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, and Wu Jianghao, director general of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
The border tension between India and China was one of a series of important issues that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and US President Donald Trump discussed in a phone call Tuesday, a week after Trump said that he had offered to mediate between India and China.
However, major government sources have contradicted the claim, saying there had been no recent interaction between the two leaders. China also rejected Trump’s offer, citing that the two neighbors are capable of solving the problems properly through dialogue and consultation.
The border between India and China covers the actual control line of 3,488 km. The two sides said that while waiting for the final settlement of the border issue, it was necessary to maintain peace and tranquility in the areas along the LAC region.
