Delhi is keen on a breakthrough as the military level talks are taking place ahead of PM Modi’s participation in BRICS in South Africa where he may meet Xi.
NEW DELHI
Even as the Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) prepare to hold the 19th round of military talks on 14 August in a bid to address the enduring border dispute along the contested Line of Actual Control (LAC), New Delhi is determined to ask Beijing to restore “status quo ante” as of April 2020 along the disputed boundary in eastern Ladakh.
“The Indian side will continue to insist on restoration of status quo ante during the upcoming military commanders meeting, saying that only this step will defuse tension along the disputed boundary between India and China,” a diplomatic source aware of the preparation of the meeting told The Sunday Guardian.
“The Indian side will also make it clear to the Chinese counterparts once again that return to normalcy in the India’s relationship with China will require restoration of peace and tranquillity in the border areas, which is not possible without restoring the status quo ante of April 2020,” the source said, adding, “MEA, Defence and Military officials held a detailed discussions here in New Delhi to finalise the strategy to be adopted by us during the commander level meeting on 14 August. India’s aim and intention are to get the status quo ante as of April 2020 restored along LAC.” The two countries have been locked in border row for more than three years now in the eastern Ladakh sector. The timing of the discussions is noteworthy as Prime Minister Narendra Modi is set to participate in the BRICS Summit in Johannesburg, South Africa, from 22-24 August. Sources said that there is a possibility of a side meeting between PM Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping. In addition to this, Xi is expected to visit New Delhi for the G20 Summit in September. “Given the timing of the India-China military level talks, New Delhi is keen to have some breakthrough in the deadlock. Therefore, every effort will be made to mount pressure on the Chinese side to relent on its position that has led to a stalemate so far,” a source said. If a bilateral meeting between Modi and Xi takes place in Johannesburg, the two leaders are expected to focus on stabilizing bilateral relations, provided some positive outcome should come out of the 14 August meeting, an official explained. “PM Modi will use the occasion to signal a sharp message to the Chinese leader over the issues of sovereignty and territorial integrity in the light of the results of the meeting,” a source said.
The Indian and Chinese troops are locked in a standoff for three years at certain friction points in eastern Ladakh even as the two sides completed disengagement from several areas following extensive diplomatic and military talks. MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi at a press conference some time back said, “The restoration of normalcy of our relationship will require restoration of peace and tranquillity in the border areas which have been disturbed since April 2020.” External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar has also made it clear that “till the situation in border areas sees a return to peace and tranquillity, we cannot foresee normalcy in the overall relationship.”
While Chinese diplomats have ostensibly wished to resume normal diplomatic ties with India, saying that the situation in the India-China border areas is stable, New Delhi has rejected such observation, saying that the complete peace and normalcy along the boundary is the only condition for restoring normal relationships between the two countries. Ahead of the meeting, Jaishankar’s statement assumes significance, in which he said that the government’s focus on border infrastructure and connectivity over the past nine years has significantly improved India’s ability to respond to China’s actions along the LAC.
Meanwhile, in a statement after the 18th round of talks in April, the Ministry of External Affairs had said that the two sides agreed to stay in close contact and maintain dialogue through military and diplomatic channels and work out a mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues at the earliest. “The mutually acceptable resolutions are different things altogether, but India’s determined demand is restoration of status quo ante,” a source said.