Editorial: Stern message to Beijing

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. This unequivocal message was conveyed to Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi during his recently concluded visit to India. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar did some tough talking and conveyed New Delhi’s […]

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. This unequivocal message was conveyed to Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi during his recently concluded visit to India. External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar did some tough talking and conveyed New Delhi’s candid assessment of China’s actions over the past two years. The tough talk on how the presence of a large number of troops, in contravention of agreements, denotes an abnormality is a clear signal that border disengagement and de-escalation remain non-negotiable, and a starting point for any restoration of ties. The face-to-face, frank expression of India’s stance left no ambiguity about mutual respect, sensitivity and interest forming the basis of the relationship —the template that India wants to adhere to. Though Wang Yi’s visit was the first by a senior-most Chinese representative since the 2020 clashes in eastern Ladakh, there was no major breakthrough in terms of concrete steps to move forward on border issues. While there is a suggestion from the state-controlled Chinese media that New Delhi must now soften its attitude on the border clashes and work towards building a positive thrust, given the two neighbours’ relations with Russia, it must be pointed out that the overall development of ties was intrinsically linked to the resolution of the border issues. Wang Yi’s visit conveys China’s belief that the geopolitical realignments and the turmoil created by the Ukraine war had created a new opening for exploratory talks with the Indian side.

China is keen to host Prime Minister Narendra Modi at the Brazil-Russia-India-China-South Africa (BRICS) summit later this year and the formal invitation conveyed to the National Security Adviser Ajit Doval signals a conciliatory and friendly approach. Wang Yi’s visit may have provided good optics, particularly against the backdrop of the emerging global developments following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, India cannot afford to lose sight of Beijing’s propensity for provocation, be it in Ladakh or Arunachal. China must demonstrate its commitment to de-escalation and disengagement on the ground. The military standoff in the Ladakh sector has resulted in both sides maintaining tens of thousands of troops on the Line of Actual Control. India and China have had 15 rounds of military talks and eight rounds of diplomatic discussions but the outcome has been mixed. The progress made so far in these meetings must be extended to all the friction points in the Ladakh sector. 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.

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