Editorial: Elusive breakthrough

Given the intransigence of Beijing over the border issue, it is no surprise that the 16th round of high-level military talks between India and China, held after a gap of four months, ended without any breakthrough. New Delhi has done well to stand firm on two key demands: early disengagement of troops from all remaining […]

Given the intransigence of Beijing over the border issue, it is no surprise that the 16th round of high-level military talks between India and China, held after a gap of four months, ended without any breakthrough. New Delhi has done well to stand firm on two key demands: early disengagement of troops from all remaining friction points in eastern Ladakh; and the restoration of the status quo ante as of April 2020, before the standoff began. While the Indian side continues to see disengagement at Patrol Point (PP) 15 as low-hanging fruit, the mobilisation of troops and equipment along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) by China remains a concern. China has been keen on delinking the border dispute from efforts to improve bilateral ties, while India maintained that the two are inextricably connected. Despite the country’s overdependence on Chinese goods, as reflected by its trade deficit which reached a record $77 billion at the end of the 2021-22 financial year, India has managed to hold its ground on the diplomatic front. Along with PP 15, the vexed issue of Depsang Plains continues to be the real challenge. In the Demchok area too, the Chinese have built additional tents and other structures. There was an air of expectancy about the latest round of Corps Commander-level talks as it was held just 10 days after an interaction between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on the sidelines of the G-20 meeting in Bali.

Late last month, Prime Minister Modi participated virtually in the BRICS summit hosted by China, even as Wang, during his first meeting with India’s new Ambassador to China Pradeep Rawat, had stated that the two countries’ common interests outweighed their differences. However, Wang’s words of conciliation seem to have barely impacted the military-level talks. An uneasy calm continues to prevail in areas along the LAC, which witnessed a bloody face-off between Indian and Chinese troops in the Galwan Valley in June 2020. After what had happened in the Galwan Valley, the onus of de-escalation of border tensions and normalisation of bilateral ties now lies with China. It must demonstrate its commitment to de-escalation and disengagement on the ground. India cannot afford to lose sight of Beijing’s propensity for provocation, be it in Ladakh or Arunachal. The military standoff in Ladakh has resulted in both sides maintaining tens of thousands of troops on the LAC. Displaying an unabashed streak of hegemony and territorial ambitions, China has been quite aggressive over the last few years in building infrastructure along the border while India has a lot to catch up. There is no room for vacillation when national security is at stake. Not just India, China is embroiled in territorial disputes with over 20 countries.