- Tuesday, April 30, 2024
By: Shubham Ghosh
THE Chinese Army has refused to agree to the constructive suggestions given by its Indian counterpart to resolve the remaining friction points or areas along the two neighbours’ Line of Actual Control (LAC) and the 13th round of negotiations between them remained inconclusive, the Indian Army said in a statement on the 13th round of corps commander level talks held in Moldo on the Chinese side of the LAC on Monday (11).
The Indian side reportedly made constructive suggestions for resolving the remaining areas during the meeting but the Chinese side did not agree and provide any forward-looking proposal.
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“The meeting thus did not result in resolution of the remaining areas,” the statement added.
The Indian Army added that during the meeting, the talks between the two sides that have a long-continuing border issue focused on the resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC in eastern Ladakh.
The long-pending issues along the LAC include the Daulat Beg Oldie and Demchok areas whereas the Hot Springs area is the last friction point to be resolved.
The Indian side said that the situation along the LAC had been caused by unilateral attempts of the Chinese side to change the status quo and in violation of the bilateral pacts.
“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,” the statement said.
The Indian Army said this would be consistent with the guidance given by the foreign ministers of the two countries in their recent meeting in Dushanbe, the capital of Tajikistan, where they had agreed that the two sides would resolve the remaining issues soon.
“The Indian side emphasised such resolution of the remaining areas would facilitate progress in the bilateral relations,” the statement said.
The Indian Army, however, added that the two sides have agreed to maintain communications and also to maintain stability on the ground. It said that it hoped that the Chinese side will work towards early resolution of the remaining issues while fully abiding by bilateral agreements and protocols.
The Chinese Army also issued a statement in which it said New Delhi’s “unreasonable and unrealistic” demands have made the negotiations to resolve the matter difficult. The Chinese cautioned India against misjudging the situation and advised it to cherish the “hard-won situation” along the LAC.
