15th round of Indo-China negotiations held for defusing tension at Ladakh

New Delhi/Beijing: 15th round of negotiations between India and China for defusing tension on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh was held recently. Chinese foreign ministry had expressed confidence that the border dispute would be resolved in this round of negotiations. But nothing more than a joint statement has emerged from the round. The report clarifies that both countries concurred that an amicable solution to the border dispute is necessary to better bilateral cooperation. Similar joint statements have been issued even after the previous rounds.

Only two days ago, senior US officials had claimed that the India-China border dispute has festered to levels never seen in the last four decades. Following that, Admiral John Aquilino, the chief of the US Indo-Pacific Command had, said that the United States would supply all the necessary aid to India for the LAC dispute even when the negotiations are being held between India and China. The tension reigning between India and China is advantageous for the US interests, and the United States feels that this will make India attach more importance to the US cooperation. Therefore, the United States is making statements regarding the Increasing Chinese threat to India.

The 15th round of negotiations on the LAC dispute between India and China started against this background. Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi said that bilateral relations should not be affected due to the border dispute. Whereas, India had pointed out to China that peace and camaraderie on the border are necessary for streamlining the bilateral relations. The round of talks on Friday and the subsequent joint statement becomes significant. The statement talks about military officials’ concurrence regarding interim security and stability from both countries. But officials from both countries agreed that the tension should not be allowed to fester further. However, there is no agreement on the complete military withdrawal from the LAC in Ladakh. The tension will not be defused unless this is achieved. India is consistently reminding China of this.