Abide by agreements, New Delhi tells Beijing

NEW DELHI: Among indications that minor disengagement of Indian and Chinese troops was underway in Ladakh, the government on Thursday once again asked China to “sincerely” abide by the understandings reached between military commanders and diplomats.


Responding to questions by journalists, foreign ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said, “We expect the Chinese side to sincerely follow up and ensure the expeditious restoration of peace and tranquillity in the border areas as per bilateral agreements and protocols.”


The MEA statement comes a couple of days after senior commanders met in Chushul on June 30 to finesse the disengagement routine. Meanwhile, Indian and Chinese officials are expected to hold yet another virtual WMCC (Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs) meet soon.

Srivastava said, “Both sides have emphasised the need for expeditious, phased and step-wise de-escalation as a priority. This is in keeping with the agreement between external affairs minister and his Chinese counterpart during their conversation on June 17 that the overall situation would be handled in a responsible manner, and that both sides would implement the disengagement understanding of June 6 sincerely.”

India is asking for a Chinese withdrawal from Indian territory essentially by reverting to status quo ante as of April. China does not want to give up the posts it has occupied, but the massive build-up on both sides of the LAC is clearly not sustainable.

Stay updated with the latest news on Times of India. Don't miss daily games like Crossword, Sudoku, and Mini Crossword.