Anurag Kumar
NEW DELHI: Defence minister Rajnath Singh raised the issue of the lingering border dispute with China in eastern Ladakh with his Chinese counterpart General Li Shangfu on Thursday, emphasizing that the violation of existing agreements had eroded bilateral relations and that the development of India-China relations was contingent on the prevalence of peace and tranquility at the borders.
Singh told Li that all issues at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) must be resolved in accordance with extant bilateral agreements and commitments, according to a defense ministry statement. On the brink of Friday’s Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) defense ministers’ meeting, the two ministers met bilaterally.
The Raksha Mantri stated categorically that the development of relations between India and China is contingent on the existence of peace and tranquility at the borders, according to the statement. “He reiterated that violation of existing agreements has undermined the entire foundation of bilateral relations, and that disengagement at the border will be logically followed by de-escalation.”
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The meeting took place days after the 18th round of military discussions between the India Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) to ease tensions along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.
During the most recent round of India-China corps commander level discussions on April 23, both parties agreed to maintain security and stability along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), maintain close contact and continue dialogue through military and diplomatic channels, and work toward a mutually agreeable resolution of the remaining issues. However, the discussions did not result in an immediate breakthrough.
Li’s visit to India is the first by a Chinese defense minister since the Galwan clash in June 2020, which severed bilateral ties. Twenty Indian soldiers were slain during the seven-hour battle near Patrolling Point 14 in the Galwan Valley. According to India’s assessment, the PLA suffered twice as many casualties as the Indian Army, despite Beijing’s allegation that only four Chinese soldiers were killed.
In eastern Ladakh, the two parties have been embroiled in a border dispute for nearly three years.
Despite four rounds of disengagement from Galwan Valley, Pangong Tso, Gogra (PP-17A), and Hot Springs (PP-15), the Indian and Chinese armies still maintain more than 60,000 personnel and sophisticated weaponry in the Ladakh theater. Depsang in the Daulet Beg Oldi sector and Charding Nullah Junction (CNJ) in the Demchok sector have yet to be resolved.
On April 19, Singh expressed confidence in the Indian Army’s ability to manage any situation along the country’s border with China. He also stated that talks would continue for a peaceful resolution of the ongoing dispute in the Ladakh sector and that disengagement and de-escalation were the best way forward.
