Updated: September 12, 2020 7:17:28 am
Foreign Minister S Jaishankar shakes hands with Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi. (Photo / PTI Archive)
Taking a five-point approach to resolving the crisis along the Royal Line of Control in Ladakh, where the situation has worsened in recent days, India and China announced on Friday that they had agreed that their troops “should continue their dialogue, quickly unhook, keep the right distance and relieve tension.
A joint statement, issued after a two-and-a-half-hour meeting on Thursday night in Moscow between Foreign Minister S Jaishankar and Chinese State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi, said the ministers “agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either party.”
The first joint statement of its kind – the practice so far was to issue separate statements – said the ministers had a “frank and constructive discussion on developments in the India-China border areas, as well as on India-China relations.” . This underscores the broad scope of the conversation, and not just the border issue.
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Jaishankar and Wang held direct talks on the sidelines of a meeting of Foreign Ministers of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization.
Since the fighting began in early May, India has been insisting on the status quo ante: Troops from the two sides return to their April locations. The statement’s emphasis on “quick” disconnection and “keeping distance” reflects the urgency of the situation in Ladakh, especially on the north and south banks of Pangong Tso, where troops are within firing range of each other. .
Although divergences persist, the joint statement invoked the consensus between the leaders of the two countries, developed since the June 2017 meeting in Astana between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping, and reiterated at the two informal summits in Wuhan and Mahabalipuram.
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“The two ministers agreed that both sides should take the lead from the leaders’ consensus series on the development of India-China relations, including not allowing differences to turn into disputes,” the joint statement said.
He said they also agreed that “both sides will respect all existing agreements and protocols on border issues between China and India, maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas, and avoid any action that may aggravate things.”
The two parties, the statement said, “agreed to continue to maintain dialogue and communication through the Special Representative mechanism on the issue of the India-China border. They also agreed in this context that the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on border issues between India and China (CMMC), should also continue its meetings ”.
“The Ministers agreed that as the situation improves, the two parties should accelerate the work to conclude new Confidence Building Measures to maintain and improve peace and tranquility in the border areas,” he said.
This was a reference to the shooting incident recently, the first in 45 years across LAC, and to the Galwan Valley incident on June 15 in which 20 members of the Indian Army and an unspecified number of Chinese soldiers were killed in clashes.
From left to right: S. Jaishankar, Sergey Lavrov and Wang Yi pose for a photo in Moscow, Russia, Thursday, Sept. 10, 2020. (AP Photo / PTI)
At the meeting, sources said, Jaishankar stressed that since the resumption of relations at the ambassadorial level in 1976 and the holding of boundary talks starting in 1981, relations between India and China “have developed in a long trajectory. positive measure “. While there have been incidents from time to time, peace and quiet have largely prevailed in the border areas, Jaishankar was cited.
As a result, he said, India-China cooperation also developed in a wide range of domains, giving the relationship a “more substantive character”.
While the Indian side acknowledged that a solution to the border issue required time and effort, the sources said that Jaishankar made it clear that “maintaining peace and tranquility in the border areas is essential for the development of ties. “.
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Jaishankar told Wang that “the recent incidents in eastern Ladakh, however, inevitably affected the development of the bilateral relationship.” Therefore, “an urgent resolution of the current situation is in the interest of both nations,” the sources have said.
At the meeting, the Indian side highlighted “its strong concern about the concentration of Chinese troops with equipment throughout LAC. The presence of such a large concentration of troops was not in accordance with the 1993 and 1996 agreements and created sources of tension throughout LAC ”.
The Chinese side, sources said, has not provided a credible explanation for this deployment. The provocative behavior of front-line Chinese troops during numerous friction incidents throughout LAC, the sources said, showed a disregard for bilateral agreements and protocols.
“The Indian side made it clear that it expected full compliance with all border zone management agreements and would not tolerate any attempt to change the status quo unilaterally. It was also emphasized that the Indian troops have scrupulously followed all the agreements and protocols related to the management of the border areas, ”the sources said.
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The immediate task, the sources said, is to ensure the full withdrawal of troops in all areas of friction. “That is necessary to prevent any adverse incidents in the future. The final disposition of the deployment of the troops to their permanent posts and the phase of the process will be elaborated by the military commanders ”, said the sources.
China’s Foreign Ministry, in its account of the meeting, said that Wang noted that it is normal for China and India to have differences as two important neighboring countries.
“The important thing is to put these differences in a proper context for bilateral relations. The key to that is to be guided by the strategic consensus among Chinese and Indian leaders that China and India are not competitive rivals or threats from each other. But the cooperation partners and the development opportunities of each, ”the Chinese statement said.
Wang, he said, stressed that as two large, rapidly emerging developing countries, what China and India need now is cooperation, not confrontation; and mutual trust, do not suspect. Whenever the situation gets tough, ensuring the stability of the overall relationship and preserving mutual trust is of utmost importance, he said.
Wang said China-India relations have once again reached a crossroads. But as long as the two parties continue to move the relationship in the right direction, there will be no difficulty or challenge that cannot be overcome, the statement said.
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Wang, he said, described China’s “stern position” on the situation in the border areas, emphasizing that the imperative is to immediately stop provocations, such as shooting and other dangerous actions that violate the commitments made by the two sides.
“It is also important to push back all the personnel and equipment that he has transferred. The border troops must withdraw quickly so that the situation can decrease, ”the statement said.
The Chinese said Jaishankar pointed out that the Indian side does not want tensions to escalate in the border areas.
In Moscow, at a press conference with Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov, Wang, responding to a question about his talks with Jaishankar, said: “We are ready to meet them halfway.”
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He said they had a mutual understanding not to allow the violation of any agreement in the border region. “I mean the warning shots,” he said, referring to the recent incident at Mukpari in the Chushul sector.
He also said, “we must take the troops and the military equipment.” It is very important to regain stability and calm the situation on the border, he said, adding that for this to happen, talks will continue.
Lavrov, for his part, said: “We are very happy that Moscow has presented a platform to Russia, China and India to have this very productive and fruitful meeting aimed at stabilizing the situation on the India-China border.”
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