July 6, 2020
After 61-day brutal border stand-off
China, India begin border disengagement process under way
By Abdus Sattar Ghazali
After 61-day intense stand-off, China and India announced Monday that they had made progress in disengaging frontline troops along a disputed part of their border where a brawl in June left 20 Indian soldiers dead.
The disengagement came after China's Foreign Minister Wang Yi, and India's national security advisor Ajit Doval spoke by phone on Sunday about the issues along the frontier known as the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
According to Karan Manral of India.com:
1. Indian and Chinese troops have both moved back by at least a kilometre from Patrol Point (PP) 14 in Galwan Valley. This is where they clashed on the night of June 15, resulting in deaths of 20 Indian soldiers, including that of a Colonel, and an unspecified number on the Chinese side.
2. Disengagement has also taken place in Hot Springs and Gogra. This was achieved after three rounds of Corps Commander-level talks on June 6, June 22 and June 30. A buffer zone has been created to ensure that the two sets of troops remain at a distance from each other.
3. However, tensions continue to remain high at the Pangong Tso area from where China is refusing to move as it is reportedly holding advantageous positions there. Here, they are reported to have come in eight kilometres west of which India says is the LAC.
India Today said while some disengagement has happened in Galwan, Hot Springs and Gogra, the situation at Pangong Lake hasn’t changed much. At Pangong Lake, another flashpoint where clashes have taken place in the last two months, there are reports of Chinese removing some structures but there is no sign of moving back or de-escalation yet.
At Pangong Lake, a 2-3 km retreat is not acceptable to India and could remain a sticking point, according to India Today. “The Chinese are currently camping at Finger 4 and have set up bunkers and observation posts between Finger 4 and Finger 8, a distance of about 8 km. More meetings are expected both at the military and the diplomatic level, to arrive at mutually agreeable solution and to ensure peace and tranquillity along the LAC as per bilateral agreements and protocols.”
It may be recalled on June 20, China claimed sovereignty over the Galwan Valley saying the region is on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control and had been patrolled by its troops for "many years". Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian said: said that since April, Indian troops had "unilaterally and continuously built roads, bridges and other facilities at the LAC in the Galwan Valley". China made representations and protests on multiple occasions but "India has gone even further to cross the LAC and make provocations", Zhao added.
Indian statement
In its statement Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said Monday that both Doval and Wang Yi had a ‘frank and in-depth’ discussion, adding that the two re-affirmed that both sides should strictly respect and observe the LAC and not take any unilateral action to alter the status quo and work together to avoid any future tensions in the border areas.
According to the MEA statement, both Wang and Doval agreed to stay in touch to ensure “full and enduring” restoration of peace and tranquility. Bilateral agreements dating back to 1993 that lay down specific protocols on the LAC issue were discussed as well.
These pacts are: The Agreement on Maintenance of Peace and Tranquility along the Line of Actual Control in the India-China Border Areas, 1993; the 1996 Agreement on Confidence Building Measures in the Military Field along the LAC; the 2005 Protocol on Modalities for the Implementation of the Confidence Building Measures in the Military Field along the LAC; the 2012 Agreement on the Establishment of a Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs; and 2013 Border Defense Cooperation Agreement.
Troop withdrawal details kept mum to avoid speculations – Global Times
The Chinese Special Representative of the China-India Boundary Question, State Councilor and Foreign Minister Wang Yi and Indian National Security Advisor Ajit Doval spoke Sunday night, and the two sides reached a consensus on de-escalating border tensions. Experts said that such high-level talks send positive signals on easing border tensions, Global Times reported Monday.
In response to a question on whether China has withdrawn troops from the Galwan Valley, Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian said at Monday's press briefing that the two sides have agreed on disengagements of frontline soldiers. "We hope the two sides could meet each other halfway in implementing these agreements," Zhao said.
“Not long ago, what happened in the western part of the border between China and India in the Galwan Valley is very clear. China will continue to effectively defend its territorial sovereignty and the border area and peace,” the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs said Monday.
“Both sides should adhere to the strategic assessment that instead of posing threats, the two countries provide each other with development opportunities,” it added.
“We hope India can work with China to guide public opinion in the right direction, keep and advance bilateral exchanges and cooperation, and avoid amplifying the differences and complicating matters so as to jointly uphold the big picture of China-India relations”, the Chinese statement said.
The details of agreements implementation, such as who withdraws soldiers first from the border area, may be carried out in a "silent" fashion, to avoid further stirring public opinion or provoking irrational sentiments, especially in India, Zhao Gancheng, director of the Center for Asia-Pacific Studies at the Shanghai Institute for International Studies, told the Global Times on Monday.
During talks with Doval, Wang said that what happened in the Galwan Valley is very clear, and China will continue to safeguard its sovereignty to maintain peace and stability of the border areas, the Global Times said.
Wang said China hopes India would work with China toward the same goal and properly guide public opinion, safeguard and push the normal communication between the two countries.
Abdus Sattar Ghazali is the Chief Editor of the Journal of America (www.journalofamerica.net) email: asghazali2011 (@) gmail.com
The Journal of America Team:
Editor in chief:
Abdus Sattar Ghazali
Senior Editor:
Prof. Arthur Scott
Special Correspondent
Maryam Turab
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