India, China agree to ‘uphold peace and tranquility’ along Line of Actual Control

Over a week after India's External Affairs Minister Dr S Jaishankar met his Chinese counterpart in Laos, the representatives of the Asian neighbours met in New Delhi to discuss the prolonged crisis along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The crisis began in April 2022 when the Chinese side intruded towards the Indian side of the LAC and aggravated in June when the troops of two countries clashed in eastern Ladakh in the north, which resulted in the deaths of 20 Indian soldiers and an unspecified number of Chinese troops.

"Further to discussions between the two Foreign Ministers in their recent meetings at Astana and Vientiane, the two sides reviewed the current situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with a view to finding an early resolution of the outstanding issues," an official statement said.

"Restoration of peace and tranquility, and respect for the LAC are an essential basis for restoration of normalcy in bilateral relations. They (the two sides) agreed on the need to jointly uphold peace and tranquility on the ground in the border areas in accordance with relevant bilateral agreements, protocols and understandings reached between the two governments," it added.

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"The discussion at the meeting was in-depth, constructive and forward-looking. Both sides agreed to maintain the momentum through the established diplomatic and military channels."

Earlier on July 29, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar ruled out any role for a third party in India's border dispute with China, saying the two neighbours have an issue and it is for them to find a way out.

"We are not looking to other countries to sort out what is an issue between India and China," Jaishankar said, while responding to a series of questions at a press conference in Tokyo.

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"We have a problem, or, I would say, an issue between India and China...I think it is for two of us to talk it over and to find a way," he said.

"Other countries in the world would have an interest in the matter because we are two big countries and the state of our relationship has an impact on the rest of the world. But we are not looking to other countries to sort out what is really an issue between us," he said, recalling his meeting with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi twice this month.

(with inputs from agencies)