Amid the border dispute with China, Defense Minister Rajnath Singh said Thursday that India was determined to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity from unilateralism and aggression, no matter the sacrifice. His comments come on the eve of the eighth round of military talks between the two countries to reduce friction in the sensitive eastern Ladakh theater.
Singh said that India is a peace-loving country but has faced challenges at its borders.
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“We believe that differences should not turn into disputes. We attach importance to the peaceful resolution of differences through dialogue. We respect various agreements and protocols that India has entered into for peace and tranquility on our borders, ”Singh said, during a speech to mark the Diamond Jubilee of the National Defense College.
The next round of corps commander-level talks will take place along the controversial Royal Line of Control (LAC) in the Chushul sector on Friday. Indian and Chinese military commanders met for the seventh time on October 12 in an attempt to defuse border tensions.
The Indian side demanded a complete shutdown at all hot spots and the restoration of the status quo before early April during the talks. The two sides agreed to continue the dialogue process to reach a mutually acceptable solution for an early disengagement in the East Ladakh theater. The eighth round of talks will be led for the first time by the new commander of the Leh-based 14th Corps, Lt. Gen. PGK Menon.
Both armies are prepared for a long haul in the Ladakh sector and are likely to hold forward positions throughout LAC during the harsh winter months.
The latest round of military talks comes at a time when China is closely following Exercise Malabar, launched by the navies of India, the United States, Japan and Australia in the Bay of Bengal on Tuesday amid the noise of Chinese sabers in the Indo-Pacific. region.
The 24th edition of the Malabar exercise takes place in two phases: the first phase in the Bay of Bengal from 3 to 6 November and the second phase in the Arabian Sea in mid-November.
China has distrusted the Quadrilateral or Quad security dialogue that was revived in late 2017 by India, the United States, Australia and Japan, and these suspicions have increased since the four countries raised the forum to ministerial level last year.
On Pakistan, the defense minister said that the neighbor stands firm in the use of terrorism as a state policy. “However, we have achieved substantial success in working with progressive and like-minded countries not only to expose Pakistan’s regressive policies, but also to make it increasingly difficult to continue with its previous approach to business as usual,” Singh said.
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