Focus: GS-II International Relations
Why in news?
- India and China have agreed to hold another round of high-level military talks to take forward the slow-moving disengagement process along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), which remains only partially complete after four rounds of talks between Corps Commanders.
- India has made it clear to China that it will not be business as usual until there is a complete disengagement along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), Indian envoy in Moscow has said.
Details
Another round of talks
- The agreement to hold another round of high-level military talks comes after a third convening of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs (WMCC).
- The disengagement process along the LAC is still facing many hurdles.
- A statement from the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said both sides agreed it was necessary “to sincerely implement the understandings reached” at the four rounds of Corps Commander-level talks.
- At the last round talks went on for 15 hours, but appeared unable to break the impasse.
- Both sides have only disengaged “partially” at Hot Springs and Pangong Tso, where Chinese troops pulled back from the base of Finger 4 but moved to Finger 5, well within India’s side of the LAC at Finger 8.
How India takes it ahead?
- India seeks to resolve these problems through dialogue and we have made it clear that we will not do business with China as usual until there is a complete disengagement of military forces along the Line of Actual Control and de-escalation in the border areas in accordance with bilateral agreements and protocols.
- India’s engagement with China on multilateral fora like Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS), Russia-India-China (RIC) and Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) are expected to continue.
- India takes independent decisions regarding defence procurement, and there is no contradiction between further development of India’s defence relations with Russia and those with the United States.
-Source: The Hindu, Times of India
