Tibet activists unfurl protest banner ahead of 22nd Sino-India border talks

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The 32-feet SFT banner read ‘Wang Yi! No Right to Talks on Indo-Tibet Border’. (Photo courtesy: SFT/FB)

(TibetanReview.net, Dec22’19) – Activists from the India chapter of the New York-headquartered Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) unfurled a huge banner from a flyover near the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi in the morning of Dec 21 ahead of the arrival of China’s Foreign Minister Mr Wang Yi for the 22nd round of border talks between the two countries. There has been no report of any arrest. Wang’s talks with his Indian counter-part ended with the two sides speaking positively about their interaction but without any breakthrough.

The 32-feet SFT banner read ‘Wang Yi! No Right to Talks on Indo-Tibet Border’. The group, which campaigns for Tibet’s independence, made it clear that China, an occupying power, had no right to discuss Tibet’s border with India.

Activists from the India chapter of the New York-headquartered Students for a Free Tibet (SFT) unfurled a huge banner from a flyover near the Indira Gandhi International Airport in New Delhi. (Photo courtesy: SFT/FB)

Mr Wang, who is also China’s State Councillor, and Mr Ajit Doval, India’s National Security Advisor, are the designated Special Representatives for the border talks.

Following the talks on Dec 21, India’s External Affairs Ministry said both the Special Representatives emphasized the importance of approaching the Boundary Question from the strategic perspective of India-China relations. They were stated to have resolved to intensify their efforts to achieve a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the India-China boundary question.

There was a consensus that both sides should respect each other’s sensitivities and concerns in order to build mutual trust, as this was important for the future development of the bilateral relations, reported newsonair.com, website of All India Radio Dec 21.

“The Special Representatives resolved to intensify their efforts to achieve a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solution to the India-China boundary question in accordance with the directives provided by PM Modi and President Xi Jinping,” said a press release from India’s External Affairs Ministry.

Modi and Xi had last met at the Mamallapuram informal summit in India in Oct 2019, which was preceded by their Apr 2018 informal summit in China’s Wuhan.

A statement issued by the Chinese embassy on the talks declared that the two counties were planning 70 events to celebrate the 70th anniversary of bilateral diplomatic ties next year. We will “actively advance boundary negotiations in line with the Agreement on the Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for the Settlement of the India-China Boundary Question”.

The two sides exchanged views on the early harvest of boundary negotiations, reached consensus on strengthening trust measures, and agreed to make regulations on safeguarding peace and tranquility in border areas, enhance communication and exchanges between the border troops of the two countries, as well as expand border trade and personnel exchanges, reported China’s official Xinhua news agency Dec 21.

The two sides also agreed to hold the 23nd Special Representatives’ Meeting on the China-India Boundary Question next year in China, it added.

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