News Analysis India

Tag: Indo china ties

  • Jaishankar says ties with China cannot be normal if Beijing continues trying to change LAC

    By PTI

    NEW DELHI: India’s relations with China cannot be normal as long as Beijing tries to unilaterally change LAC and continues to build up forces along the border, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday.

    Replying to queries by MPs after his suo motu statement on foreign policy in Rajya Sabha, the minister said India has made it clear to China that it will not tolerate any unilateral change in the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

    “Diplomatically, we have been very clear. We have been very clear with the Chinese that we will not tolerate any unilaterally change to the Line of Actual Control. And that so long as they continue to seek to do that, and if they have built up forces, which in our minds constitute a serious concern in the border areas, then our relationship is not normal,” he said.

    READ HERE | As trust deficit with China stays, India beefs up LAC deployment

    China is reported to have built up military infrastructure along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.

    Earlier this year, a top US general had described the Chinese activity along the LAC as eye-opening.

    “And the abnormality of that (relations) has been in evidence in the last few years,” Jaishankar said on Wednesday.

    He said the military commanders of the two countries continue to engage each other.

    “I think given the sensitivity of that matter, it is something which is left to the military commanders to deal with,” he said.

    He went on to add that the House should be understanding of the national sensitivity of such a delicate matter.

    ALSO READ | India dismisses China’s concerns on military exercise with US in Uttarakhand

    Last month, the minister stated that the current standoff on the LAC has been “mischievously conflated” with resolving the boundary question.

    Relations between the two countries can only become sustainable on the basis of mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest, he had said.

    The Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have been locked in a standoff in multiple areas along the LAC in eastern Ladakh since May 2020.

    NEW DELHI: India’s relations with China cannot be normal as long as Beijing tries to unilaterally change LAC and continues to build up forces along the border, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Wednesday.

    Replying to queries by MPs after his suo motu statement on foreign policy in Rajya Sabha, the minister said India has made it clear to China that it will not tolerate any unilateral change in the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

    “Diplomatically, we have been very clear. We have been very clear with the Chinese that we will not tolerate any unilaterally change to the Line of Actual Control. And that so long as they continue to seek to do that, and if they have built up forces, which in our minds constitute a serious concern in the border areas, then our relationship is not normal,” he said.

    READ HERE | As trust deficit with China stays, India beefs up LAC deployment

    China is reported to have built up military infrastructure along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.

    Earlier this year, a top US general had described the Chinese activity along the LAC as eye-opening.

    “And the abnormality of that (relations) has been in evidence in the last few years,” Jaishankar said on Wednesday.

    He said the military commanders of the two countries continue to engage each other.

    “I think given the sensitivity of that matter, it is something which is left to the military commanders to deal with,” he said.

    He went on to add that the House should be understanding of the national sensitivity of such a delicate matter.

    ALSO READ | India dismisses China’s concerns on military exercise with US in Uttarakhand

    Last month, the minister stated that the current standoff on the LAC has been “mischievously conflated” with resolving the boundary question.

    Relations between the two countries can only become sustainable on the basis of mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest, he had said.

    The Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) have been locked in a standoff in multiple areas along the LAC in eastern Ladakh since May 2020.

  • Regional security environment characterised by Chinese hostility towards weaker nations: Army chief

    Express News Service
    NEW DELHI: Army Chief on Monday underlined an environment of distrust prevailing due to Chinese belligerence and its hostile approach towards neighbours in the region.

    His statement on Friday came while the troops of China and India were involved in disengagement after a prolonged nine month standoff at the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh.

    General MM Naravane said, “The rising footprints of China in India’s neighbourhood and its attempts to unilaterally alter the status-quo along our disputed borders have created an environment of confrontation and mutual distrust.”

    The Indian Army chief said this while speaking at a webinar organised by United Service Institution of India and the Assam Rifles on “Evolving security challenges in the north east and way forward”.

    ALSO READ: US welcomes efforts by India and China to de-escalate situation in eastern Ladakh Army Chief added that the Chinese behaviour is also leading to regional imbalance and instability. “The regional security environment is characterised by Chinese belligerence in the Indo-Pacific, its hostility towards weaker nations and relentless drive to create regional dependencies through initiatives like the BRI. The resultant Sino-US rivalry has created regional imbalances and instability,” said the Chief.

    He added, “Regional and internal connectivity is acutely linked to security. It is central to unleashing the potential of the North East and balancing the influence of China. With failure to deliver on promises, delivery deficit has plagued our efforts at improving regional connectivity,” The Kaladan multimodal transport project and the trilateral highway have both seen cost and time overruns, he pointed out.

    The chief also talked about Nepal and the changes due to China.

    “Nepal, our traditional long term partner, which has witnessed heavy Chinese investment, is going through a period of political volatility,” he said.

    Based on the contemporary security situation, the entire north east region was divided into pockets of least resistance, partial resistance and pockets of active resistance to roll out a phased disengagement plan of the Army from the Counter Insurgency (CI) deployment.

    The chief said that while the red belt along the India-Myanmar border requires a permanent Army and Assam Rifles grid for effective border management, the changes on ground have led to reorientation of the Army.

    He said the force calibration has already resulted in disengagement of 14 Infantry Battalions. “Two Division headquarters, earlier part of the CI grid, are now solely focusing on their operational role along the Northern borders. This has been a significant achievement. The operational responsibility of these areas has now been taken over by the Assam Rifles,” the chief added. Talking about the support of Myanmar in improvement of the situation, the Army chief said, “A series of operations under ‘Operation Sunrise’ with Myanmar Army have witnessed growing cooperation and synergy between the soldiers on ground with reasonable operational dividends,” he added. The chief said while pointing out that Bhutan has been cautious in its approach, “we have seen an upswing in our relations with Bangladesh.”

    India is celebrating Swarnim Vijay Varsh to commemorate its splendid victory over Pakistan in the 1971 War for Liberation of Bangladesh. “The ongoing dynamics in these neighbouring countries directly impacts the security environment in India’s North East. A large number of initiatives are already underway to leverage military diplomacy with our Eastern Command playing the spring-board for fostering stronger bilateral relations,” he added.

  • Chinese actions seriously disturbed peace, tranquillity along LAC: Government

    By PTI
    NEW DELHI: The Chinese military’s attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh have seriously disturbed peace and tranquillity in the region, the government said in Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

    Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan said the attempts have been responded to “appropriately” by the Indian armed forces and it has been made clear to the Chinese side that such unilateral attempts are “unacceptable”.

    In a written response to a question on the overall boundary issue with China, the minister said the two sides have agreed to seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution through dialogue and negotiations.

    He said the two sides also agreed that pending final settlement of the boundary question, maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas is an essential basis for the overall development of the bilateral relationship.

    “However, since April/May 2020 the Chinese side undertook several attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo along the LAC in western sector.

    These attempts have been responded to appropriately by our armed forces,” Muraleedharan said.

    “It has also been made clear to the Chinese side that such unilateral attempts are unacceptable. These actions have seriously disturbed the peace and tranquillity along the LAC in the western sector,” he said.

    The government often refers to eastern Ladakh as western sector.

    The minister also said that India’s engagement with China is “complex”.

    “In the last few years, the two sides have agreed to manage their differences and not allow differences on any issue to become disputes, ” he said.

    In addition, he said, the two sides also agree that the future direction of ties should be built upon mutual respect for each other’s developmental aspirations bearing in mind the importance of respecting each other’s sensitivities, concerns and aspirations.

    On the eastern Ladakh standoff, he said:”Over the last several months, we have been engaged with the Chinese side through diplomatic and military channels to ensure complete disengagement from all friction points and full restoration of peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas.

    Muraleedharan also referred to External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on September 10 in Moscow and said they agreed that the current situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side.

    “They agreed therefore that the border troops of both sides should continue their dialogue, quickly disengage, maintain proper distance and ease tensions,” he said.

    He said both sides held six meetings of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China border affairs (WMCC) and nine meetings of senior commanders.