Have maintained talks with India to control border friction: China
BEIJING: China and India have maintained communication through diplomatic and military channels to control friction at the border, Chinese state councillor and foreign minister Wang Yi said Monday amid a dragging conflict along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh that has seen bilateral ties plunge to their worst in decades. Wang was speaking on ‘China’s Diplomacy in 2021: Embracing a Global Vision and Serving the Nation and its People’ at a symposium on the international situation and China’s foreign relations. He referred to India only once in his speech.
“China and India have maintained dialogue through diplomatic and military channels, and effectively managed and controlled frictions in certain border areas, under a shared commitment to improving and developing bilateral relations,” Wang said.
Indian and Chinese militaries have been locked in a border standoff in eastern Ladakh since May 2020, when a violent clash in Pangong lake area led to both sides gradually deploying tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry along the border. Several rounds of military and diplomatic talks have only resulted in partial disengagement of troops so far. Wang has spoken earlier about the need for India and China to partner with each other and respect each other’s core interests.
Beijing, however, has continued to blame India for the current military tension and not explained why the last round of military talks in October, or for that matter, a round of diplomatic negotiations the following month, failed to make any headway. In November, India and China emerged from the last round of diplomatic talks on the border standoff with little but an agreement on holding the next discussion between senior military commanders soon. While China blames India for the border troubles, India has repeatedly and consistently rejected China’s allegations, asserting that New Delhi has always taken a responsible approach towards border management.