India-China Border Stalemate Persists Despite 29th WMCC Meeting: No Breakthrough Reported
Amid strained ties between the two Asian giants, India and China engaged in a war of words earlier this month. India once again lashed out at China over its “absurd” claims over the Indian northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh.
On Thursday, India again rebuked China, with ministry of external affairs spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal stating that Beijing can repeat “baseless claims” over Arunachal “as many times as it wants, but it will not change India’s position that Arunachal was, is and will always remain an integral and inalienable part of India”.
New Delhi also snubbed Beijing on the subject of India-US ties by saying that there is “no need for gratuitous advice from unrelated third parties”.
In a statement on the WMCC talks in Beijing, New Delhi said, "The two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on how to achieve complete disengagement and resolve the remaining issues along the LAC in the Western Sector of India-China border areas. In the interim, both sides agreed to maintain regular contact through diplomatic and military channels and on the need to uphold peace and tranquility on the ground in the border areas in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and protocols.”
New Delhi added that the joint secretary (East Asia) from the ministry of external affairs led the Indian delegation, while the Chinese delegation was led by director-general of the boundary & oceanic department of the Chinese ministry of foreign affairs.
Both countries continue to hold talks at the military and diplomatic level for military de-escalation in the Ladakh region after China amassed troops in border regions in the Ladakh sector in the spring and summer of 2020, which resulted in the military clash with India in the Galwan valley in June of that year.
Chinese troops have also refused to pull back in several areas in the Ladakh sector, despite several rounds of Sino-Indian talks at the military and diplomatic levels since then. New Delhi has already made it clear to Beijing that bilateral ties cannot be normal until Chinese troops pull back.
