Contrary to India's stance, China says 'phase of emergency response' on LAC over

Contrary to India's stance, China has claimed that the “phase of emergency response” along the disputed boundary between the two countries was over and the current border situation was “overall stable”.

“The current border situation is overall stable,” Beijing's envoy Sun Weidong said during a virtual event on Tuesday, adding: “The phase of emergency response since the Galwan Valley incident has basically come to an end, and the border situation is now switching to normalized management and control”.

His comment came nearly a fortnight after the Indian Army and the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) mutually withdrew troops from the Gogra-Hotsprings area, also known as Patrolling Point 15 (PP 15) on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.

The Chinese Embassy on Wednesday released the speech delivered by the country’s ambassador to India.

Read | India, China complete disengagement in Gogra-Hotsprings

India has not yet termed the latest disengagement of Indian and Chinese troops as the end of the more-than-two-year-long stand-off along the LAC.

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said on September 14 that the withdrawal of troops by both sides from the PP 15 had meant “one problem less on the border”. He had acknowledged the latest progress in the protracted negotiation between the diplomats of the two nations and the senior commanders of the Indian Army and the PLA, but, at the same time, had also sought to underline that the stand-off along the LAC – the de facto boundary between the two nations – had not ended yet.

The disengagement of troops at the PP 15 followed similar mutual withdrawal of troops in Galwan Valley in July 2020, in northern and southern banks of Pangong Tso in February 2021 and in Gogra Post in August 2021.

The PLA, however, continues to block the Indian Army’s access to Patrol Points 10, 11, 12, 12A and 13 with its troops deployed in Depsang Bulge, well inside the territory of India along LAC with China. A similar face-off also continues in Demchok on the LAC.

After the Indian Army and the PLA agreed to resolve the face-off at PP 15, the Ministry of External Affairs stated that both sides would mutually agree to take the talks forward and resolve the remaining issues along the LAC and restore peace and tranquility in India-China border areas.

“The Chinese side is willing to maintain dialogues via diplomatic and military channels with the Indian side, and together seek solution to the border issues in a peaceful manner through dialogue and consultation,” Beijing’s envoy said.