As China opposes the visit of Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu to Arunachal Pradesh, India reiterates it is an integral and inalienable part of India
Our Bureau
New Delhi
There is more trouble on the eastern front as border talks between India and China have failed.
India had put forward constructive suggestions during the 13th commander-level talks but the Chinese side was not agreeable, External Affairs Ministry said on Thursday and noted that the two sides have agreed to “maintain communications and to maintain stability on the ground”.
External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said during the weekly media briefing that India expects the Chinese side to work towards early resolution of all the remaining issues on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. He also said that resolution of the remaining areas and restoration of peace and tranquility would facilitate progress in overall bilateral relations.
“We had put forward constructive suggestions during the 13th round of the India-China Corps Commander-level meeting, for resolving the remaining areas but the Chinese side was not agreeable. I would not like to characterize it any particular way except to say that two sides have agreed to maintain communications, and to maintain stability on the ground,” he said.
Bagchi said that the two sides have had some progress in terms of disengagement from various areas in the past. He also referred to the meeting between Indian and Chinese Foreign Ministers at Dushanbe and said they had agreed that the “remaining areas should be resolved”.
“We expect the Chinese side to work towards early resolution of all the remaining issues on the LAC in eastern Ladakh, while fully abiding by bilateral agreements and protocols,” he said.
“And let me reiterate again that resolution of the remaining areas and restoration of peace and tranquility would facilitate progress in our overall bilateral relations. We look forward to continuing to engage with China on this,” he added.
The 13th round of the India-China Corps Commander-level meeting was held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on October 10.
Answering a query related to China’s opposition to the visit of Vice President M Venkaiah Naidu to Arunachal Pradesh, Bagchi reiterated that Arunachal Pradesh is an integral and inalienable part of India and the Indian leaders can routinely travel there “as they do to any other state of India”. Naidu visited Arunachal Pradesh on October 9 and addressed a special session of the state assembly.
India needs to counter China diplomatically, militarily as Beijing is following one palm and 5 fingers rule, said Defense Expert Major General (retired) SP Sinha on Thursday. “We need to understand the strategy of China. China has been following one palm, 5 fingers strategy. Palm is Tibet which China has occupied and the five fingers are Nepal, Bhutan, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Ladakh. In all these fingers, China keeps creating problems at regular intervals,” he said, emphasizing that Chinese President Xi Jinping is pursuing his quest for regional dominance more aggressively than ever. Major General Sinha said India needs to counter China diplomatically, militarily as well as troops deployment on the ground.
“As we know this strategy of China, then we have to ensure that diplomatically, militarily, troops deployment on the ground. We are so strong that China dares not do any misadventure with regard to our territorial dignity. The best way to defeat China is to hit China in its stomach,” he stated
“In the past, China used to carry out incursions into our territory and in Parliament, the Prime Minister used to make statements that we condemn this activity of China. That used to be the end of the matter. The time of talking is over. Now the time has come for action. We will not talk, we will reciprocate. We will speak in the language in which our enemies understand. We will teach lessons to our enemy,” added Major General Sinha.
Sinha said, “Who is China not to recognize Arunachal Pradesh (as part of India)? In that way, if China tries to distort history and say that Arunachal Pradesh is part of them, I will give evidence that a greater portion of China was under the rule of Indian kings. It is all irrelevant talk by China.”
In another development India on Thursday said it had noted the signing of the memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Bhutan and China on the three-step roadmap for expediting boundary negotiations. “We have noted the signing of the memorandum of understanding between Bhutan and China today. We are aware that they have been holding boundary negotiations since 1984, Similarly, India has been holding boundary negotiations with China,” MEA Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi said on Thursday during a weekly media briefing. Bhutan and China on Thursday signed the MoU on a three-step roadmap for expediting boundary negotiations.
