INDIA JUNKS CHINA’S CLAIMS ON DISENGAGEMENT
MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that there has been ‘some progress’ towards disengagement along the border, though it is far from complete
NEWDELHI/BEIJING:India on Thursday rejected China’s contention that disengagement has been completed at most locations along their disputed border, with New Delhi calling on Beijing to work sincerely for complete de-escalation and full restoration of peace along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
External affairs ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava acknowledged that there has been “some progress” towards disengagement and de-escalation along the LAC, though the process is far from complete.
Senior military commanders from the two sides are set to meet for the fifth time to work out steps to complete the process, he said.
India’s stance is markedly different from the position taken by China, which said on Tuesday frontline troops had “completed disengagement in most locations and the situation on the ground is easing”.
“There has been some progress made towards this objective but the disengagement process has as yet not been completed,” Srivastava said during the weekly virtual media briefing.
“As we have stated earlier, the maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas is the basis of our bilateral relationship. Therefore, we expect that the Chinese side will sincerely work with us for complete disengagement and de-escalation and full restoration of peace and tranquillity in the border areas at the earliest, as agreed to by the Special Representatives,” he said.
People familiar with developments said the sizeable Chinese troop presence at friction points, particularly Pangong Lake and Depsang, remains a concern.
The people, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the Chinese side is yet to deliver on understandings regarding disengagement reached during the July 5 phone conversation of the Special Representatives on the border issue and meetings of corps commanders.
The people said the next meeting of the corps commanders is expected to be held before the end of the week though a date is yet to be finalised.
Srivastava referred to the July 24 meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on border affairs, which reviewed the situation in Ladakh sector, and said the two sides had agreed that “early and complete disengagement” of troops and de-escalation in line with bilateral agreements and protocols is essential for the smooth development of bilateral ties.
In Beijing, Chinese defence ministry spokesperson Ren Guoqiang
stuck to the line that troops from both sides were disengaging at friction points on the LAC.
“At present, the situation on the ground is tending to ease, and the border guards of the two countries are gradually disengaging from contact,” Ren was quoted as saying in a statement.
Since the June 15 clash in the Galwan Valley, the two countries have had “effective communication and coordination through diplomatic and military channels”, Ren said.
He added: “We hope the Indian side and the Chinese side will meet each other halfway, in accordance with the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, and always proceed from the overall situation of maintaining...China-India relations and regional peace and stability.”
The two sides should focus on “cooperation and properly addressing differences”, he said.
Chinese ambassador Sun Weidong, speaking at a webinar on the theme “India-China relations: The way forward”, sought to blame India for both the standoff and the June 15 clash that resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers and unspecified Chinese casualties.
He repeatedly accused Indian troops of crossing to the Chinese side of the LAC and of building infrastructure such as roads and bridges in the Galwan Valley since April.
“The right and wrong of the Galwan Valley incident is very clear and I must make it very clear that the responsibility is not on the Chinese side,” he said.
Sun also accused Indian troops of breaking consensus reached by the corps commanders during their June 6 meeting and provoking the clash in the Galwan Valley. In response to a question on China not providing details of its casualties, he indicated this was part of goodwill from the Chinese side not to increase tensions.