New Delhi: India on Thursday asked China to “sincerely engage” in talks for complete disengagement and de-escalation at the India-China border, with external affairs minister S. Jaishankar asserting that the solution lay “in the domain of diplomacy”.
Speaking at an online discussion to mark the launch of his new book, Jaishankar said that he was “not underplaying the seriousness” of the current situation, but noted that both countries “need to arrive at an accommodation”.
Saying that neither country should “change the status quo unilaterally”, Jaishankar said that he was “totally convinced that solution has to be found in the domain of diplomacy”.
He is scheduled to come face to face with Chinese state councillor and foreign minister Wang Yi during the SCO Council of Ministers meeting in Russia on September 10. When asked what he would say to minister Wang, Jaishankar replied, “We have known each other a long time, so we can have a reasonable chat.”
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India had first accused China of attempting to change the status quo on the southern bank of the Pangong Tso lake on the night of August 29-30. China responded by charging Indian troops of crossing the Line of Actual Control at two places at the lake and Reqin La on August 31 morning. Thereafter, New Delhi retorted that China had attempted a second “provocative action” on Monday while the brigade commander level talks were underway.
“Now, the way ahead is negotiations, both through the diplomatic and military channels. The Indian side is firmly committed to resolving all outstanding issues through peaceful dialogue,” MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said on Thursday at the virtual press briefing.
So far, India and China have held three days of brigade commander-level meeting at Chushul to resolve the latest situation. However, they have been inconclusive so far.
Even before the latest spike in the ongoing stand-off, the disengagement process had been effectively stalled as China was not agreeing to go back to the previous traditional posts on their side of the LAC.
Also read: ‘China Made 2nd Provocative Action on Aug 31, While Talks to Resolve Aug 30 Face-Off Were On‘
While asserting that talks were the way out of the current morass, Srivastava underlined, “We therefore strongly urge the Chinese side to sincerely engage the Indian side with the object of expeditiously restoring the peace and tranquillity in the border areas with complete disengagement and de-escalation in accordance with bilateral agreement and protocol.”
Earlier, the MEA spokesperson had reiterated that it was China’s disregard for bilateral border protocols which triggered the latest stand-off in eastern Ladakh.
“It is clear that the situation that we witnessed over the past four months is a direct result of the actions taken by the Chinese side that sought to effect unilateral change in status quo. These actions resulted in violation of the bilateral agreements and protocol which ensured peace and tranquillity at the border areas for close to three decades,” he stated.
Indian officials had said that China had poured in troops through Galwan Valley and spreading into other parts of the western sector, in violation of the agreement that dealt with informing each other about military exercises near the LAC, which had been the initial cause for first clashes in early May.
In mid-June, Indian and Chinese troops had been involved in the deadliest clash at the LAC in four decades. Twenty Indian soldiers, including the commanding officer, were killed after hours of hand to hand combat in Galwan Valley on June 15. The number of Chinese casualties have still not been revealed.