Editorial: Caught in clichés

A permanent solution to border issues continues to elude the leadership of both China and India

Beyond the optics and cliches, the meeting between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) summit in Kazakhstan recently, had nothing substantive to offer in terms of resolving the border issues. While peace and tranquillity were the buzzwords during the meeting, the first high-level engagement between the two countries since the NDA was voted to power for a third term, there was little inclination to go beyond the platitudes and make tangible progress on the ground. Both the foreign ministers agreed to ‘redouble efforts’ through diplomatic and military channels for an early resolution of the remaining issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC). The problem is that similar sentiments were expressed in the past too, amid a prolonged standoff in eastern Ladakh, but a permanent solution continues to elude the leadership of both nations. Indian and Chinese soldiers clashed in the Galwan Valley in June 2020, leading to a strain in the bilateral relations. New Delhi has maintained that there will be no normalisation in relations until the border issues are resolved first. The talks between border commanders and defence officials in the meetings of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs have thus far yielded no further breakthrough, which hinges on the Chinese position at the Demchok and Depsang sectors. The prolongation of the volatile situation in the border areas is not in the interest of either side.

It is important to respect the LAC and ensure peace and tranquillity in the border areas. There is a need to step up meetings of the diplomatic and military officials and take forward their discussions to resolve the remaining issues at the earliest. At present, there is a huge trust deficit, exemplified by the competitive development of border villages. India has reportedly decided to set up villages or habitations in Arunachal Pradesh ‘closer to the LAC’ in a bid to match China’s efforts. The Chinese have established over 600 ‘prosperous villages’ (Xiaokang) along the LAC to bolster their territorial claims and enhance their military readiness. India’s counter is the Vibrant Villages Programme, which was launched last year. The ambitious project aims to cover around 3,000 villages in Arunachal, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Ladakh and Sikkim. The focus on improving road and telecom connectivity, housing and tourism facilities has a larger objective — to encourage more and more villagers to become the eyes and ears of the soldiers in border areas. Amid this all-out infrastructural push and troop build-up, the periodic talks at the diplomatic and military levels have often remained inconclusive. A summit-level interaction between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Xi Jinping too remained elusive. As Asia’s largest powers, it is in the interests of both countries to engage in dialogue and address thorny issues.

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