Press Trust of India

Faceoff at LAC: India, China agree to handle ‘differences’ through talks

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China appoints new commander for troops overseeing India border

New Delhi/ Beijing: India and China on Friday held diplomatic talks over their military standoff in eastern Ladakh and agreed to handle their “differences” through peaceful discussions while respecting each other’s sensitivities, concerns and aspirations, and not allow them to become disputes.
The talks through video conference were held between Joint Secretary (East Asia) in the External Affairs Ministry Naveen Srivastava and Director General in the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs Wu Jianghao.
Without directly referring to the military standoff, the External Affairs Ministry said the two sides reviewed the state of bilateral relations including the current developments.
“In this context they recalled the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, that peaceful, stable and balanced relations between India and China will be a positive factor for stability in the current global situation,” the MEA said in a statement.
It said both sides agreed to resolve differences in accordance with guidance provided by leadership of two countries, in a reference to decisions taken at the two informal summits between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
“Both sides agreed that in accordance with the guidance provided by the leadership, the two sides should handle their differences through peaceful discussion bearing in mind the importance of respecting each other’s sensitivities, concerns and aspirations and not allow them to become disputes,” the MEA said.
Troops of India and China are locked in a bitter military standoff in at least four areas in eastern Ladakh for a month.
Meanwhile, China also said that it is committed to properly resolve the relevant issue with India ahead of the key talks between senior Indian and Chinese military officials on Saturday to end the border standoff.
Both the sides are expected to deliberate on specific proposals to end the month-long bitter standoff in eastern Ladakh during the first extensive talks between the Indian and Chinese military on Saturday, led by lieutenant generals from both the armies.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Geng Shuang told a media briefing here that “at the moment the situation in the boundary region between China and India is overall stable and controllable”.
“We have full-fledged border-related mechanisms and we maintain close communications though military and diplomatic channels,” he said when asked about reports that Indian and Chinese military officials are due to hold talks on Saturday.
“We are committed to properly resolve the relevant issue,” Geng said.
The general officer commanding of Leh-based 14 Corps, Lt Gen Harinder Singh, is expected to represent India at the talks which are scheduled to be held at one of the border meeting points, the official sources in New Delhi said.
The Indian side is expected to present specific proposals at the talks to de-escalate tension in Pangong Tso, Galwan Valley and Demchok — the three areas in eastern Ladakh where the two sides have been on a bitter standoff for the last one month, the sources said.
It is not immediately known what will be the proposals that the Indian military will take to the negotiating table but it is understood that it will insist on return to status quo in all the areas.
The two sides have already held at least 10 rounds of negotiations between local commanders as well as major general-rank officials of the two armies but the talks did not yield any positive result, they said.
It is learnt that two sides are also engaged in diplomatic talks to find a solution to the face-off which is turning out to be the most serious military standoff between the two armies after the Doklam episode of 2017.
After the standoff began early last month, the Indian military leadership decided that Indian troops will adopt a firm approach dealing with the aggressive posturing by the Chinese troops in all disputed areas of Pangong Tso, Galwan Valley, Demchok and Daulat Beg Oldie.
The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488-km-long LAC. China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet while India contests it.
Both sides have been asserting that pending the final resolution of the boundary issue, it is necessary to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas.
Notably, China has appointed a new Army commander for its Western Theatre Command ground forces responsible for the Sino-India border, ahead of the key talks between senior Indian and Chinese military officials on Saturday to end the border standoff.
The People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Western Theatre Command, on its official website, announced that Lieutenant General Xu Qiling has been appointed as the new commander for its ground forces.
Before this, he reportedly served in the Eastern Theatre Command.
The Western Theatre Command of the PLA guards the 3,488-km long Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India.
The PLA’s Western Theatre Command, which includes the ground force or Army, Air Force and Rocket Force, is headed by General Zhao Zongqi.
The new appointment comes at a time when the Chinese and Indian forces are locked in a border standoff since early last month.
The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488-km-long LAC. China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet while India contests it.
Both sides have been asserting that pending the final resolution of the boundary issue, it is necessary to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas. (PTI)


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