Japan opposes ‘unilateral attampt to change status quo’ along LAC

NEW DELHI: Japan opposes any “unilateral attempt to change the status quo” along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Japanese ambassador Satoshi Suzuki said on Friday against the backdrop of a months-old tense border standoff between Indian and Chinese troops.

Suzuki made the remarks in a tweet posted on his official Twitter handle following a conversation with India’s foreign secretary Harsh Shringla.

The remarks came in the wake of several meetings at the diplomatic and military levels between India and China that have failed to break the impasse along the LAC and even as Prime Minister Narendra Modi toured the Ladakh sector to meet troops and be briefed on the situation.

Suzuki also backed the Indian government’s efforts to achieve a peaceful resolution of the standoff that became public in early May.

“Had a good talk with FS Shringla. Appreciated his briefing on the situation along LAC, including GOI’s policy to pursue peaceful resolution. Japan also hopes for peaceful resolution through dialogues. Japan opposes any unilateral attempts to change the status quo,” Suzuki tweeted.

On June 19, Suzuki had, in a tweet, conveyed Japan’s condolences to the people of India and to the families of the 20 Indian soldiers who “lost their lives in the line of duty at Galwan Valley”. He was referring to the Indian soldiers who died in a violent face-off with Chinese troops.