We expect China to ensure restoration of peace: MEA ›
Both sides have emphasised the need for an expeditious, phased, and stepwise de-escalation as a priority. ANURAG SRIVASTAVA , MEA spokesperson
NEW DELHI: India on Thursday called for an expeditious and phased de-escalation of the standoff with China along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), saying it expects the Chinese side to “sincerely” ensure the restoration of peace and tranquillity along the disputed frontier.
Amid indications that the Chinese side has not done enough to ease the months-old stand-off along the LAC, especially in the Ladakh sector, external affairs ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava told a weekly media briefing that speedy de-escalation will be in keeping with an agreement between external affairs minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart, Wang Yi that the overall situation “would be handled in a responsible manner”.
Srivastava noted that the two sides have been holding discussions through established diplomatic and military channels to address the situation along LAC. This includes three meetings between corps commanders of the two sides on June 2, 22, and 30 and a meeting of the working mechanism for consultation and coordination on India-china border affairs (WMCC) on June 24.
The corps commanders meeting at Chushul on June 30 was the third engagement between senior military commanders to discuss issues related to disengagement at face-off sites along LAC and de-escalation in border areas, he said.
“Both sides have emphasised the need for an expeditious, phased, and stepwise de-escalation as a priority. This is in keeping with the agreement between external affairs minister and his Chinese counterpart, during their conversation on June 17, that the overall situation would be handled in a responsible manner, and that both sides would implement the disengagement understanding of June 6 sincerely,” Srivastava said.
He added that discussions during the latest meeting of the corps commanders “reflected the commitment of both sides to reduce the tensions along LAC”.
The two sides will continue meetings at the military and diplomatic levels, including within the framework of WMCC, to resolve “issues to mutual satisfaction”, Srivastava said.
“We expect the Chinese side to sincerely follow up and ensure the expeditious restoration of peace and tranquillity in the border areas as per bilateral agreements and protocols,” he added.
In response to a question on India’s June 29 decision to ban 59, mostly Chinese, mobile phone applications and China’s description of the move as discriminatory, he said, “... India is today one of the world’s largest markets for digital and internet technologies with more than 680 million subscribers. The world’s largest software and internet applications companies are present in India.”