Defence Minister Rajnath Singh on Monday reviewed the situation on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh with Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and three Services Chiefs — General M Naravane, IAF Chief RK Bhadauria and Admiral Karambir Singh. This came two days after talks between senior military commanders of India and China to defuse tension on the border due to month-long stand-offs at multiple sites.
Favouring resolution of the ongoing issues on the LAC through dialogue after these talks, the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) said in Beijing on Monday the situation all along the border is “stable and controllable” and the two sides are ready to engage in consultation to “properly solve the relevant issues.”
Answering questions on the talks between Lt General Harinder Singh and Major General Liu Lin, MFA spokesperson Hua Chunying said, “One consensus is that the two sides need to implement the understanding reached by the leaders of the two countries and make sure that differences do not escalate into disputes.”
She also said two sides will work to maintain peace and tranquility along the border and create a good atmosphere.
The reference to leaders pertained to the informal summit meetings between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jingping in the last two years. It was agreed between the two countries that boundary disputes will be resolved through the strategic direction given by the two leaders to their armed forces.
The Chinese response was more or less similar to the ministry of external affairs statement issued on Sunday in New Delhi after the military level talks. It said the two countries have agreed to “peacefully resolve” the stand-off situation in Ladakh in accordance with various bilateral agreements. The ministry also stressed that military and diplomatic dialogue will continue to resolve the prevailing situation in Eastern Ladakh.
“The two sides will continue the military and diplomatic engagements to resolve the situation and to ensure peace and tranquility in the border areas,” the ministry said in a statement.
Stating that the meeting took place in a cordial and positive atmosphere, the ministry also referred to the agreement between the leaders that peace and tranquility in the India-China border regions is essential for the overall development of bilateral relations.
The ministry had further stressed that both the countries noted that this year marked the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries. “Both the countries have agreed that an early resolution would contribute to the further development of the relationship,” the ministry had said.
As regards Rajnath’s meeting here to take stock of the situation, sources said besides getting briefed about operational preparedness to meet any challenge, the defence top brass also conveyed their assessment of the talks to the leadership.
While there is still no clarity on the next round of senior-level talks, sources said the dialogue between local commanders on the ground would continue.
During the talks, India insisted that it wants a restoration of status quo ante of April before the standoff began and China pull back troops close to the LAC. India also said it will continue its infrastructure development in the border areas. China is objecting to the construction of roads close to the LAC while India says the construction is within its territory.