Stand-off should not be repeated, says Chinese envoy

Beijing’s envoy to New Delhi Sun Weidong argued that the boundary row was “not the whole story of China-India relations”

The lesson from the China-India military stand-off is “profound” and it should not be repeated, Beijing’s envoy to New Delhi Sun Weidong said, even as the two sides could not yet reach an agreement for the complete withdrawal of front-line troops from all the face-off points along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

However, he argued that the boundary row was “not the whole story of China-India relations”.

China’s ambassador to India recently had a virtual discussion with eminent columnist Sudheendra Kulkarni, who had served as an aide to late and former Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee and had accompanied him on his visit to the communist country in 2003.

“China-India relations are multi-faceted. It should be viewed in a comprehensive way rather than limited to one part,” Sun said when Kulkarni asked him if the resolution of the boundary dispute should now be on the top of the agenda for the two neighbouring nations.

Read: India pitches for early disengagement in remaining areas in eastern Ladakh

“The boundary question is not the whole story of China-India relations and should be put at a proper place in the overall bilateral relations. We should not allow differences to become disputes,” he said.

Beijing’s envoy to New Delhi said the “past experiences” of the two nations had repeatedly indicated that highlighting differences would not help solve problems but erode the foundation of mutual trust.

He added that a sound bilateral relationship was conducive to enhancing political mutual trust and creating favourable conditions and atmosphere for the settlement of the boundary question.

He also reiterated China’s position that its boundary dispute with India was “a historical burden: imposed on the two nations by the western colonists. “It (the dispute over boundary) is very sensitive and complex. Border disputes are reality to both of us.”

Read: Chinese military says situation in eastern Ladakh "eased distinctly" but silent on further pullout of troops

The Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) last month withdrew frontline troops from the northern and the southern banks of Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh. The mutual disengagement from both banks of the lake raised hope for an early end to the military stand-off, which had started in late April and early May in 2020 and had taken the bilateral relations to a new low over the past 11 months.

Beijing’s envoy to New Delhi said disengagement of frontline troops by both sides in the Pangong Tso area was “conducive to building mutual trust and further easing the situation on the ground”.

“Against this backdrop, we should implement the consensus reached by the two leaders and strictly abide by the existing agreements, step up dialogue and communication, and improve the border management and control mechanisms to further ease, stabilize and control the border situation, avoid relapse and jointly safeguard peace and tranquillity in the border areas.”

Kulkarni referred to the June 15, 2020, violent clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers in the Galwan Valley and noted that the time had come to ensure that no more military stand-off could take place along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the future.