India-China To Hold Working Mechanism Talks Today, Focusing On Disengagement Process From East Ladakh

 

China’s geographical threats into Ladakh, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh have continued to escalate throughout years and have put India under additional pressure. Although several meetings have been held to lessen the ongoing border tensions but inconclusive outcomes is all being reported by defence experts.

Keeping in view to take ahead the stalled disengagement process in East Ladakh – from Hot Springs and Depsang, both India & China will hold a Working Mechanism Consultation & Coordination (WMCC) today, i.e., on Thursday, November 18 at around 11:30 AM, as reported by Times Now.

Its pertinent to note that the last meeting of military commanders which was held on October 10 concluded in a stalemate.

According to reports, the WMCC meeting will be led by the additional secretary of the Ministry of External Affairs (East Asia) Naveen Srivastava who will be accompanied by officials from the Indian Army, Home Ministry, Indo-Tibetan border Police (ITBP) and the Ministry of Defence.

Earlier, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) asserted that at the October 10 meeting, Indian side made constructive suggestions for resolving the remaining areas “but the Chinese side was not agreeable,”.

The recent border law adopted by Chinese lawmakers focuses on military actions to protect territorial integrity by countering any border threats which might erupt further tensions with its neighboring countries.

However, China’s “territorial claims”, by propagating military aggression over unresolved border disputes with its neighboring countries, such as – India and Bhutan is nothing new. This border law was proposed in March 2021, marking one year of Galwan clash when People’s Liberation Army (PLA) marched to the forward areas, thereby deliberately aggravating the situation.

Its multiple infringement of mobilization in forward areas along India border, and erection of new “frontier villages” along the Bhutan border depicts its extra territorial ambition.

However, the MEA cited this law as a move to “unilaterally alter the situation in border areas”, and warned that the border law might result into massive implications during the management of disputed boundaries shared between the two countries.

It also referred China-Pakistan 1963 accord, through which Pakistan handed over the Shaksgam Valley of Aksai Chin to China as “illegal and invalid”.