Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indian Foreign Minister Subramaniam Jaishankar posed for a photo during a meeting of the Foreign Ministers of the Council of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Moscow, Russia on September 10, 2020.
Russian Foreign Press Service Handout | Anadolu Agency | Getty Images
SINGAPORE: India and China have issued a joint statement on the ongoing border dispute in the Himalayas, calling for dialogue and scattering to reduce tensions between nuclear-armed rivals.
He came after the foreign ministers of the two countries met on the sidelines of a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization in Moscow on Thursday.
According to the Indian Ministry of External Affairs, the discussions between India’s Subramaniam Jaishankar and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi were “clear” and “constructive”.
“The two foreign ministers agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of both parties. So they agreed that the border forces of both parties should continue talks, disband quickly, maintain proper distance and reduce tensions,” the statement said. It added that the countries have agreed to abide by existing agreements and protocols on Sino-Indian border matters and to avoid escalating tensions.
The two sides agreed to continue dialogue and communication through the Special Representative Mechanism on the Indo-China border, the statement said.
Troops from both sides have been engaged in a border dispute since May and in June, a fatal clash killed 20 Indian soldiers. China has not commented on whether its troops suffered any casualties. Earlier this week, New Delhi and Beijing accused each other of having opposition troops located nearby during a new confrontation on a reckless border.
Firearms are limited to border areas under previous agreements, which experts said highlighted the seriousness of this week’s confrontation.
Neither side is ready to back down
Political Risk Consultation Eurasia Group predicts a 60% probability of a situation where obstruction with periodic flares and collisions continues, with limited casualties.
“So far, there have been several phases of meetings between special envoys to the Boundary Question, a meeting of defense ministers and a meeting of foreign ministers, and none of these talks have been able to prevent a new confrontation,” said Kelsey, an Asia analyst at South Asia Stated in a note on Thursday. They explained that given the current bilateral relationship, both sides are likely to give an inch to an inch.
Politically, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi cannot back down as he was criticized for failing to accept Chinese intruders into Indian territory, analysts say. He added that any loss of territory for India would damage Modi’s “image as a power that will protect India.”
Chinese President Xi Jinping will not back down either, and “the border is showing signs of warming and both sides are preparing for a long-running conflict.”
“That’s not to say diplomacy won’t continue. Commander-level talks are likely to continue, as will diplomatic meetings.”
The Eurasia Group has also predicted a 25% chance of successful diplomatic negotiations and a 15% chance of de-escalation.
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