New Delhi: India said Thursday that diplomatic dialogue could be the only way out of the stand-off with China in Ladakh, where disengagement efforts have failed to resolve tensions in the Depsang Plains and Pangong lake areas. However, New Delhi stressed that the effort should be mutual.
Both India and China have agreed to resolve all outstanding issues in an “expeditious manner” and in accordance with the existing agreements and protocols, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said Thursday at the weekly government briefing.
Citing External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar’s interview this week to a media outlet, Srivastava said, “I would also refer you to the recent interview of External Affairs Minister wherein, referring to various past border incidents, he had noted that what was common was that all borders situations were resolved through diplomacy.”
The minister, Srivastava added, had further noted that “when it comes to finding a solution, this must be predicated on honouring all agreements and understandings, and not attempting to alter the status quo unilaterally”.
The MEA’s statement came days after Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat said India has “military options” to deal with China on the issue of transgressions even as he made it clear that they will only be exercised if talks at the military and diplomatic levels fail.
‘Agreed to resolve outstanding tensions’
New Delhi and Beijing have held several rounds of negotiations — at the diplomatic as well as the military level — to resolve border tensions that started with Chinese transgressions in Ladakh this May. The tensions even sparked clashes between the two sides at Galwan Valley on 15 June, which led to the death of 20 Indian soldiers and an unconfirmed number of fatalities for the People’s Liberation Army.
The last round of diplomatic talks took place on 20 August under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on India-China border affairs, one of the bilateral frameworks instituted to resolve tensions.
The MEA had said after the talks that the sides had had a “candid and in-depth” exchange of views on the present situation at the LAC, and agreed to resolve outstanding issues in an “expeditious manner”.
At the briefing Thursday, Srivastava invoked the earlier statement and stated, “As I had conveyed earlier, complete disengagement requires re-deployment of troops by each side towards their regular posts on their respective sides of the LAC. It is natural that this can be done only through mutually agreed reciprocal actions. Thus it is important to bear in mind that achieving this requires agreed actions by both sides.
“In this context, in the last meeting of the WMCC, the two sides have agreed to resolve the outstanding issues in an expeditious manner and in accordance with the existing agreements and protocols.”
Canada elections 2025: Mark Carney's Lib…
19-04-2025
Prime Minister Mark Carney unveiled the Liberal Party's election platform, promising to "spend less, invest more" to strengthen Canada. The platform outlines nearly $130 billion in new spending over four...
Read more
Why Gaza visit after 2007 may make you i…
19-04-2025
The order to conduct a social media vetting for all immigrant and non-immigrant visas should include non-governmental organization workers as well as individuals who have been in the Hamas-ruled enclave...
Read moreViral London ad slams Bezos over Katy Pe…
19-04-2025
A billboard mocking Jeff Bezos' tax payments, juxtaposed with Katy Perry's spaceflight on Blue Origin, has gone viral in London. The ad highlights the contrast between billionaire space tourism and...
Read moreIndian-origin man charged in Singapore c…
19-04-2025
R Nadhiban, a 22-year-old Indian-origin man, was charged in Singapore for allegedly attacking Kaalithasan Govindaragi with a knife in a Hougang car park, injuring his arm. The naked Nadhiban also...
Read moreGaza: At least 64 killed in Israeli atta…
19-04-2025
Gaza faces escalating crisis as Israeli attacks intensify. Casualties surge, with over 64 deaths reported since Friday. The UN warns of severe food shortages. People are psychologically distressed due to...
Read moreRussia says retook penultimate village i…
19-04-2025
Russia on Saturday said it had retaken the penultimate village still under Ukrainian control in its Kursk frontier region, where Kyiv's forces launched a surprise offensive in August. Now...
Read more
Plane loses wheel, catches fire in Puert…
19-04-2025
A Frontier Airlines flight experienced a harrowing landing in San Juan after the front landing gear failed. The Airbus A321, carrying 228 passengers, made a hard initial landing, causing a...
Read moreHarvard–Trump row over antisemitism lett…
19-04-2025
A confrontation ignited between Harvard University and the Trump administration over antisemitism policies, potentially triggered by an erroneously sent letter containing unacceptable demands regarding hiring, admissions, and curriculum. Despite initial...
Read moreGunfire at Sri Lankan church days before…
19-04-2025
A gunman fired at a church in Sri Lanka's Manampitiya village, causing damage but no injuries, days before Easter commemorations. Police arrested a 38-year-old suspect, citing a personal dispute with...
Read moreTrump's tattoo theory to prove gang ties…
19-04-2025
President Trump's reliance on tattoos to identify gang members for deportation, particularly Venezuelans, faces growing criticism. Experts warn against using tattoos as sole evidence, citing cases like Andry Jose Hernandez...
Read moreHow JK Rowling funded a legal battle tha…
18-04-2025
JK Rowling faces scrutiny for donating £70,000 to For Women Scotland, following a UK Supreme Court ruling impacting transgender rights. The court decided trans women aren't legally women in specific...
Read moreWho was Harsimrat Randhawa? Indian stude…
18-04-2025
Harsimrat Randhawa, a 21-year-old Indian student at Mohawk College, tragically died in Hamilton, Ontario, after being struck by a stray bullet while waiting at a bus stop on her way...
Read moreWhat is covid 'lab leak' theory accordin…
18-04-2025
The White House's revamped Covid-19 website now prominently features the lab-leak theory, alleging the virus originated from the Wuhan Institute of Virology. The site criticizes a study discrediting the theory...
Read more
