New Delhi, April 2
The lack of progress for over a month in disengagement has led India to remind China about the consensus between their Foreign Ministers on February 25 for quickly resolving the remaining issues along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh.
The MEA’s comments on the LAC closely follow India’s critical but guarded observations on a WHO-convened global study about the origin of Covid-19 in which Western countries want to corner China.
China replied to India’s comments today with a reasoned repudiation of points raised by India. South Block is also evaluating Chinese investment proposals worth $ 2 billion that have been on hold since April last year.
“As the External Affairs Minister had pointed out to [the] Chinese Foreign Minister, a prolongation of the situation is in neither side’s interest,’’ said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi at the weekly media briefing.
The February 25 talks between the Foreign Ministers, which took place five days after Indian and Chinese troops disengages along the banks of Pangong Tso, had also touched upon setting up of a hotline. Instead, there had been no response even to Indian overtures for a meeting of the WMCC to take forward the agreement reflected in separate statements after the talks between S Jaishankar and Wang Yi.
Bagchi reiterated Jaishankar’s formulation of further progress in bilateral ties being linked to disengagement in the remaining areas at the earliest. This would enable both sides to take the next step of de-escalation and de-induction, which means the return of troops and war equipment to pre-April 2020 locations.
Jaishankar had also said that prolonging friction along the border does not serve either country.
“The disengagement in Pangong Lake area was a significant step forward and it has provided a good basis for resolution of other remaining issues along the LAC in Western Sector,’’ underlined the MEA spokesperson.
