Senior Indian, Chinese diplomats hold talks ahead of Lt General-level dialogue to end LAC standoff

Senior diplomats from China and India on Friday held a video conference to discuss the border standoff ahead of the Lt General-level talks scheduled on Saturday. 

In a Video Conference between Naveen Srivastava, Joint Secretary (East Asia) and Mr Wu Jianghao, Director General in the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the two sides reviewed the state of bilateral relations including the current developments, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement. 

"The two sides reviewed the state of bilateral relations including the current developments. In this context they recalled the consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, that peaceful, stable and balanced relations between India and China will be a positive factor for stability in the current global situation," the MEA said. 

"Both sides also agreed that in accordance with the guidance provided by the leadership, the two sides should handle their differences through peaceful discussion bearing in mind the importance of respecting each other's sensitivities, concerns and aspirations and not allow them to become disputes," it added. 

"The two sides also exchanged views on the challenge posed by the Covid-19 pandemic and cooperation in various multilateral forums," the ministry further said. 

Indian and Chinese troops have been engaged in a bitter face-off in several areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh for nearly a month. 

In thier readout of the call, the Chinese foreign ministry underlined that the two countries should not pose a "threat" to each other and not let their differences turn into disputes.

The press release by the Chinese foreign ministry said both the sides should implement the consensus reached between the leaderships of the two countries that the "two neighbours do not constitute a threat to each other and that each other is an opportunity for development and do not let differences turn into disputes." 

Both sides should enhance strategic mutual trust, deepen mutually beneficial cooperation, properly manage differences and promote the celebration of the 70th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic ties so as to ensure that the giant ship of China-India relations is moving in the right direction, the release said.
Both the sides are expected to hold talks to end the month-long standoff on Saturday. The talks will be led lieutenant generals from both the armies.

Lieutenant Gen Harinder Singh, 14 Corps Commander, will represent India while Maj Gen Liu Lin, who is the commander of South Xinjiang Military Region of Chinese People’s Liberation Army, will represent China, Indian Army sources said. 

The two armies have already held at least 10 rounds of negotiations between local commanders as well as major general-rank officials but failed to make any breakthrough.