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NEW DELHI: as Minister of Foreign Affairs S Jaishankar prepares to meet his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Moscow, clashes in LAC on Monday where Indian troops held their positions on the heights of the South bank de Pangong Tso have given India some solid bargaining chips in the difficult negotiations to defuse the standoff.
Although the clashes lend credence to India’s position that “deep talks” are necessary to resolve the situation and the discussions may not yield immediate results, changes on the ground, where Indian troops have surprised the PLA in action. that took place between August 29 and 30. weekend, they have subtly altered the dynamics before the meeting.
Official sources here noted the unusual speed with which the Chinese side issued a statement after 3 am Beijing time, accusing India of a “serious violation.” The statement followed a determined Indian response to the Chinese advance that made it clear that the occupation of the heights was not a passing affair.
The signal to China was that force would be needed to dislodge the Indian troops or negotiations were an option to find a way out and reduce tensions. For the moment, he has heightened the need for a political understanding of the growing border crisis. The Indian side feels that the meeting may not yield a new solution to the border crisis.
In recent days, both sides have been reflecting on their public statements, indicating how difficult it would be to achieve common ground. There is also an assessment from the Indian side that China has a definite goal of pushing LAC westward and will not be willing to concede recent advantages gained by the Indians. This is also related to the national honor, which means that the two parties may be digging during the winter.
Here, India may have a slight advantage given its experience, but China has deeper pockets. On Tuesday, the MEA opposed the Chinese propaganda system by denying its attribution to the NSA Ajit Doval. In a statement, a MEA spokesperson said: “We have seen reports in Chinese state media, including China Daily and Huanqiu Shibao (Global Times), which attributed some comments to the NSA Ajit Doval.
These reports are completely false and not based on facts. “Sources said the Chinese would have preferred a situation where they were in a more tactically advantageous position. But India has strengthened its positions in LAC, which has contributed to the anger. This may facilitate political negotiations, but it could also toughen China’s positions.
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