(TibetanReview.net, Sep14’24) – China has agreed with India progress had been made in military disengagement between the two sides in eastern Ladakh along Tibet’s border, adding they had taken place at four places. However, while India has called for discussions to continue for “complete disengagement, China has maintained silence on any such goal, insisting that the border situation was stable and normal bilateral ties should be resumed.
The Chinese remarks came in a Sep 13 Foreign Ministry statement after India’s External Affairs Minister had said in Geneva Sep 12 that roughly 75% of the “disengagement problems” with China in the eastern Ladakh border area with Chinese-ruled Tibet had been sorted out. He went on to say a restoration of peace after complete disengagement was essential for the realization of normal bilateral ties, a precondition China does not agree with.
The Chinese statement also came a day after India’s National Security Advisor (NSA) Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi held talks on the sidelines of a meeting of BRICS NSA’s in St Petersburg in Russia where they discussed the progress made in the recent consultations on border issues.
Asked whether the two countries were close to a breakthrough to revive their bilateral ties frozen for over four years after the military standoff in Eastern Ladakh, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning has told a media briefing that the two militaries realized disengagement in four areas and the situation along the border was stable.
“In recent years, frontline armies of the two countries have realized disengagement in four areas in the Western sector of the China-India border, including the Galwan Valley. The China-India border situation is generally stable and under control,” the indianexpress.com Sep 14 quoted Mao as saying.
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However, the Doval-Wang meeting has highlighted ongoing disagreements over disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), noted indiatoday.in Sep 13.
In its press release after the meeting, India has emphasized that both sides agreed to “work with urgency and redouble their efforts to realize complete disengagement in the remaining areas.” Doval has also said that “peace and tranquillity in border areas and respect for the LAC are essential for normalcy in bilateral relations,” calling for adherence to past agreements.
However, China’s readout after the meeting made no mention of “complete disengagement.” Rather, Wang focused on broader themes, urging both nations to “view each other in the right light” and handle differences “with a pragmatic attitude,” the report said.
He highlighted the importance of cooperation between “two ancient Eastern civilizations,” without addressing specific border tensions and stayed with Beijing’s stated position that both sides agreed to “implement the consensus reached by the leaders” (Prime Minister Modi and President Xi Jinping), the report added.
The divergent statements highlight a fundamental disconnect. While India pushes for concrete action on disengagement, China appears reluctant to commit publicly to resolving the LAC standoff. This isn’t the first time that the Chinese have gone cold, with such disparities having emerged post high-level meetings in the past too, the report noted.
The two sides are currently stuck on two areas for military disengagement due to China’s refusal to move back its troops to restore the pre-2020 border situation.