SHOULD SET ASIDE LAC STANDOFF TO REVIVE TIES: CHINA

NEW DELHI: China has said the overall situation in the border areas with India has de-escalated and both countries should set aside the standoff on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to expand bilateral cooperation, reflecting the differences between the two sides on the issue.

The Chinese position was articulated on Thursday in a statement on the meeting between external affairs minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in Dushanbe. After the meeting on Wednesday, Jaishankar said both sides should speedily resolve the remaining issues on the LAC since the standoff was negatively impacting bilateral ties.

According to the Chinese foreign ministry’s statement, Wang said that after his meeting with Jaishankar in Moscow last year, frontier troops of both countries disengaged in Galwan Valley and Pangong Lake areas, and the “overall situation in the border area was de-escalated”.

Reiterating Beijing’s contention that the Chinese side wasn’t responsible for the standoff, Wang said: “The two sides must place the border issue in an appropriate position in bilateral relations, expand the positive momentum of bilateral cooperation and create favourable conditions for resolving differences through negotiation.”

China’s stance is contrary to the position taken by the Indian side, as Jaishankar had said that normalisation of ties depends on restoring peace in the areas.