China flouted 1993, 1996 border pacts with India by deploying large number of PLA troops, Jaishankar tells Wang

China flouted key 1993 and 1996 border peace pacts with India by deploying a large number of troops along the disputed boundary between the two nations without any credible explanation, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar told his counterpart from the communist country, Wang Yi.

Jaishankar told Wang during a meeting in Moscow on Thursday that the provocative behaviour of the frontline troops of the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) during “numerous incidents of friction” with the Indian Army along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) had also shown disregard for bilateral agreements and protocols inked between the two countries in the past.

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With the soldiers of the Indian Army and the Chinese PLA engaged in a stand-off along the LAC in eastern Ladakh for over four months now, the External Affairs Minister had a bilateral meeting with the Chinese Foreign Minister on the sidelines of a conclave of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) in the capital of Russia.

A source aware of discussion in the meeting told the DH in New Delhi that Jaishankar conveyed to Wang New Delhi’s “strong concerns” over the amassing of PLA troops along the disputed boundary between India and China. He referred to the 1993 Agreement on the Maintenance of Peace and Tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the India-China Border Areas.

The 1993 agreement had been signed when the then Prime Minister P V Narasimha Rao had visited Beijing and met Chinese Premier Li Peng. It had for the first time officially recognized the LAC as the de facto boundary between the two nations.

The pact is still considered as the first major step by India and China to maintain peace and tranquillity along the disputed boundary.

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The two nations, according to Article II of the pact, had agreed that each side would “keep its military forces in the areas along the LAC to a minimum level compatible with the friendly and good neighbourly relations” between them. It was followed up by four other pacts, that were signed in 1996, 2005, 2012 and 2013, all intended to ensure peace along the LAC and avert flashpoints.

The source quoted Jaishankar telling Wang that India would expect China to fully adhere to all agreements on the management of border areas. He underlined that the Indian Army had never flouted the border pacts.

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Wang conveyed to Jaishankar China’s “stern position” on the situation along its disputed boundary with India, emphasizing that the imperative was to immediately stop provocations such as firing and other dangerous actions that violated the commitments made by the two sides, according to a press release issued by the embassy of the communist country in New Delhi early on Friday.

Beijing has not only been dismissing New Delhi’s allegation about transgression of the LAC by the Chinese PLA but has also been accusing the Indian Army of doing the same. It also accused the Indian Army of firing warning shots on the PLA personnel on the south bank of Pangong Tso on Monday. New Delhi, however, alleged that the PLA personnel had opened fire in the air to intimidate the Indian Army soldiers. It was the first incident of firing along the India-China disputed boundary since 1975.