Won’t allow differences to escalate, both sides say
nNEW DELHI/BEIJING: A day ahead of crucial talks between Indian and Chinese army commanders on the stand-off along Line of Actual Control (LAC), the two sides on Friday agreed on not allowing their differences to escalate into disputes while respecting each other’s concerns.
In the first formal diplomatic meeting between the two since tensions flared along LAC, joint secretary (East Asia) Naveen Srivastava of the external affairs ministry held talks with Wu Jianghao, director general in China’s foreign ministry, through video conference and reviewed bilateral relations, including “current developments”, according to a readout from the Indian side.
Statements issued in New Delhi and Beijing referred to not allowing differences to become disputes. The Indian statement spoke about respecting each other’s sensitivities, while Chinese side’s readout said the two sides should not pose a threat to each other and should enhance “strategic mutual trust”.
People familiar with developments said on condition of anonymity that Friday’s meeting was meant to set the stage for talks on June 6 between general officer commanding of Leh-based 14 Corps, Lt Gen Harinder Singh, and his Chinese counterpart.
Tensions built up along LAC following violent clashes between hundreds of Indian and Chinese troops in Sikkim and Ladakh sectors early last month. Army officers of the two sides have held several meetings along the disputed border but have been unable to break the impasse.
In Friday’s meeting, both sides agreed that in accordance with guidance provided by their leadership, they “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 external affairs ministry said in a statement without giving details.
The two sides “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”.
This was a reference to the guidance from Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping to the militaries of both countries to maintain peace and tranquillity along the border after their first informal summit at Wuhan in 2018. That summit was organised to put ties back on an even keel after the 73-day standoff at Doklam in 2017.
A statement by China’s foreign ministry in Mandarin said the two sides agreed that under strategic guidance of their leaders, they “should not pose a threat to each other, should present opportunities for development and not allow their differences to escalate into disputes”. It called for the two sides to “properly manage and control differences”.
It also called for enhancing “strategic mutual trust”, and deepening mutually beneficial cooperation and promoting celebrations marking 70th anniversary of diplomatic ties to “ensure the giant ship of China-india relations always moves forward in right direction”.
Officials of the two sides also exchanged views on challenge posed by the pandemic, cooperation at different multilateral forums. The statement added the two countries should deepen cooperation in fighting epidemics, oppose “politicisation of epidemics”, support World Health Organization and promote building of public health systems.
They should also uphold and promote multilateralism and oppose “unilateralism, protectionism and hegemonism”, and jointly safeguard international justice and common interests of developing countries, it added.
India and China have been in touch through diplomatic and military channels in New Delhi and Beijing over the past few weeks to address the border tensions. Joint secretary Srivastava has been involved in these contacts, the people cited above said.
The army commanders are set to met on June 6, almost a month after tensions flared along the disputed border and took bilateral ties to a new low.
Amitabh Mathur, a former special secretary in Research and Analysis Wing (RAW), said there was nothing new in the two sides talking about not allowing differences to become disputes. “While they may say they don’t want differences to become disputes, we have a dispute on our hand. The defence minister has said the Chinese have come in, and in large numbers. We have to put an end to it somewhere. If Chinese agree to go back, why did they come in? The clues to that will be in any possible terms of settlement between the two sides,” he added.