New US law slams Chinese aggression along India border
WASHINGTON: The United States expressed “significant concern” with Chinese aggression along the border with India in a defence policy law passed by the Senate on Friday, completing a congressional override of President Donald Trump’s veto of the legislation.
“Continued military aggression by the government of China along the border with India is a significant concern,” says the $740 billion National Defence Authorisation Act 2021 (NDAA).
It calls upon Beijing to resolve all disputes using existing diplomatic mechanisms.
The legislation became law after the Republican-controlled Senate voted 81-13 to pass it, with way more than the two-third votes required to override a presidential veto. The Democraticled House of Representatives had passed the override last week with a similarly overwhelming support - 322 to 87.
Trump had vetoed the legislation passed earlier by both chambers, but his reasons had nothing to do with the section on Chinese aggression on the border with India.
He had demanded that it should repeal liability protection for social media platforms, drop sections renaming military facilities named after confederate military figures, and thinning US military deployments in certain areas.
It was the first congressional override of presidential veto for Trump, whose term ends on January 20, when President-elect Joe Biden will be sworn in as the 46th US president.
In Section 1206 titled “Sense of Congress on the aggression of the government of China along the border with India and growing territorial claims”, the NDAA says, “Continued military aggression by the government of China along the border with India is a significant concern.”
The “government of China should work with the government of India towards de-escalating the situation along the Line of Actual Control through existing diplomatic mechanisms and refrain from attempting to settle disputes through coercion or force”, it adds, and goes on to point to China’s other aggressive actions in the region. It says US congress feels China’s territorial claims are inconsistent with international law.