Reaffirming its commitment to maintain “peace and tranquility in the India-China border areas”, India—in wake of the recent skirmishes between Indian and Chinese soldiers on the Line of Actual Control—has said that “difference in perception of the alignment” has given rise to situations on the ground.
Stating that India-China border has largely been peaceful, Ministry of External Affairs Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, “Occasionally however on account of difference in perception of the alignment of the Line of Actual Control (LAC), situations have arisen on the ground that could have been avoided if we had a common perception of the LAC.”
“The two sides have established mechanisms to resolve such situations as and when they arise including Border Personnel Meeting, Flag Meetings, and Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination on India-China Border Affairs as well as diplomatic channels,” Srivastava added.
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The MEA spokesperson further said that India and China attach utmost importance to maintenance of peace and tranquility in all areas of India-China border regions.
“Prime Minister Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in their informal Summits in Wuhan (2018) and in Chennai (2019) had reaffirmed that both sides will continue to make efforts to ensure peace and tranquility in the border areas. This is essential for the overall development of the bilateral relations,” Srivastava said.
“The two leaders had also directed their militaries to earnestly implement various confidence-building measures agreed upon between the two sides, including the principle of mutual and equal security, and strengthen existing institutional arrangements and information sharing mechanisms to prevent incidents in border regions. As a result, India-China border has largely been peaceful,” he added.
The Line of Actual Control (LAC) had flared up in the past week after skirmishes were reported between Indian and Chinese soldiers in Sikkim and Ladakh, injuring troops on both sides. Incidents of stone-pelting were also reported from both sides.