Beijing: China today claimed it has made “great efforts to ease and cool the border situation and “fully demonstrated” its sincerity. Zhao Lijian, Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson claimed that during the 13th round of China-India Corps Commander Level Meeting, proceeding from maintaining the overall interest of the state-to-state and military-to-military relations between the two sides, the Chinese side made “great efforts to ease and cool the border situation and fully demonstrated our sincerity”.
Lijian was responding to the accusation hurled by the Indian Army following the 13th round of talks between the two countries that despite the latter’s proposals for resolving the remaining areas China was not agreeable could not provide any forward-looking proposal.
The 13th round of India-China Corps Commander Level Meeting was held at Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on 10th October 2021.
According to Indian Ministry of Defence release today, during the meeting the discussions between the two sides focussed on resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh. The Indian side pointed out that the situation along the LAC had been caused by unilateral attempts of Chinese side to alter the status quo and in violation of the bilateral agreements. It was therefore necessary that the Chinese side take appropriate steps in the remaining areas so as to restore peace and tranquillity along the LAC in the Western Sector. This would also be in accord with the guidance provided by the two Foreign Ministers in their recent meeting in Dushanbe where they had agreed that the two sides should resolve the remaining issues at the earliest.
The Indian side emphasised such resolution of the remaining areas would facilitate progress in the bilateral relations. During the meeting, the Indian side therefore made constructive suggestions for resolving the remaining areas but the Chinese side was not agreeable and also could not provide any forward-looking proposals. The meeting thus did not result in resolution of the remaining areas.
“The two sides have agreed to maintain communications and also to maintain stability on the ground. It is our expectation that the Chinese side will take into account the overall perspective of bilateral relations and will work towards early resolution of the remaining issues while fully abiding by bilateral agreements and protocols,” the MEA stated.
However China termed the remarks by the Indian side as “groundless”. Lijian claimed that “the Indian side still insisted on its unreasonable and unrealistic demands, which added difficulties to the negotiations.” He stated that China is firm in its resolve to safeguard national sovereignty, and that it hoped the Indian side could “avoid misjudging the situation, cherish the hard-won situation in the China-India border areas, abide by the relevant agreements and consensus reached between the two countries and two militaries, and show sincerity and take concrete actions to jointly safeguard peace and stability in the border areas with China”.
Senior Colonel Long Shaohua, spokesperson for the Western Theater Command of the People’s Liberation Army too today made a statement on the 13th round of China-India Corps Commander Level Meeting, reiterating that “Instead of misjudging the situation, the Indian side should cherish the hard-won situation in China-India border areas”.
– global bihari bureau
