Global Courant 2023-04-28 19:49:52
NEW DELHI – Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh has told his Chinese counterpart that military deployment to their disputed Himalayan border was undermining relations and called for a withdrawal to keep “peace and tranquility”.
Relations between the two Asian powers have been fraught since a June 2020 high-altitude clash that killed 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops.
The neighbors have since gathered tens of thousands of soldiers along the border. They remain despite 18 rounds of talks between top military officials of both countries.
Singh held talks with his Chinese counterpart, General Li Shangfu, on Thursday ahead of a meeting of defense ministers from the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO), which India chairs this year.
India’s defense minister declared New Delhi’s position “categorical,” according to a statement released by his ministry late Thursday.
“He reiterated that violation of existing agreements has eroded the entire basis of bilateral relations and that withdrawal at the border will logically be followed by de-escalation,” the statement said.
India is wary of its northern neighbour’s growing military assertiveness and disputes over their 3,500km border are a perpetual source of tension.
China claims all of India’s northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh as it is part of Tibet, and the two fought a border war in 1962.
Beijing and New Delhi have regularly accused each other of trying to seize territory along their unofficial rift known as the Line of Actual Control.
The 2020 clash along the western border between Tibet and the Indian state of Ladakh led to a sharp deterioration in relations, with both sides sending large reinforcements to the area.
Gen Li said in a statement posted online Friday that the situation at the border was “stable”.
“We hope that both sides can work together to continuously increase mutual trust,” the statement said.
