BEIJING: India has asked China not to “move the goalposts” and not “confuse” it with the larger issue of resolving the border question, to manage border affairs and restore peace on the borders. are dealt with by systems.
After the standoff in eastern Ladakh in May last year, India has consistently maintained that peace and tranquility in the border areas is essential for the overall development of relations between the two countries.
Besides being neighbours, India and China are also large and emerging economies and “differences and problems are not uncommon”, Indian envoy to China Vikram Misri Addressing the fourth high level Track II Dialogue on Sino-India Relations Held on 23 September.
“The important question is how to deal with them and ensure that the results are informed with the rationale, maturity and respect for maintaining peace on our borders,” Misri said.
The virtually organized meeting was co-hosted by the School of International Studies of Sichuan University (SCU), China Center for South Asian Studies and Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defense Studies and Analysis (MP-IDSA), with several former envoys and scholars had participated. .
Besides Misri, China’s Ambassador to India Sun Weidong also attended the meeting.
Referring to several rounds of talks between top military officials of the two sides and “multi-pronged talks” held by the two countries since last year to resolve the military standoff between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in eastern Ladakh, Misri said: “These contacts have resulted in significant progress on the ground”.
“Following the dissolution in Galwan Valley in July last year, both sides have been able to separate from the north and south shores of Pangong Lake in February 2021 and most recently from Gogra in August 2021,” he said.
“Talks are on between the two sides regarding the remaining places and we hope that the disengagement in the remaining friction zones will enable us to reach the point where we can pick up the threads of bilateral cooperation,” he said.
“The experience of this multi-faceted dialogue over the past year and a half gives me confidence that we are well equipped when it comes to resolving important issues in the bilateral relationship,” he said.
“Our leaders have agreed in the past that we must resolve issues peacefully, prevent differences from turning into disputes and most importantly, maintain peace and tranquility in our border areas,” he said.
“Recent experience also suggests that at the grassroots level, when managing a difficult bilateral situation, finding a solution hinges on a mature mind, open channels and continuity between words and actions. But while these are the positive elements we can attract, we must stay away from certain obstacles that can block progress.”
“The first is to avoid changing the goalpost. For a long time, the Indian and Chinese sides have followed a well-informed distinction between resolving the border question and managing border affairs,” he said.
“The 1988 understanding between our leaders was to put the resolution of the boundary question on a different track parallel to that of bilateral relations, with the maintenance of peace and tranquility as a prerequisite,” he said.
The Special Representative Mechanism, the 2005 Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles, and the three-phase framework were all designed to work on the boundary question, “what we agreed was a complex and sensitive issue to work on.” It was the need of the hour,” Misri said. .
“This is the root cause of the tense situation at the borders. We advocate that we should resolve the boundary issue through peaceful dialogue and we do not think that the boundary issue should be linked to our bilateral relations.
But at the same time to manage border affairs on a daily basis, both countries had developed a mechanism, which included tools such as the WMCC (Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs) and a succession of agreements. Protocols and CBMs to control behavior on the ground and ensure peace and quiet.
“A serious breach of peace and tranquility in the border areas naturally requires us to apply our mind on the basis of established agreements, protocols and mechanisms to resolve it. As we do so, any attempt to confuse boundary matters with boundary questions is the loss of the work of those involved in finding solutions.”
This is the reason why the Indian side is constantly saying that the current issue is about restoring peace and tranquility in the border areas and not about resolving the larger boundary question, on which India has not stood despite what happened last year. Changed, she said.
The India-China border dispute involves the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC).
China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of South Tibet, which India has strongly rejected.
Misri also said that China should not take a one-sided view of mutual concerns and sensitivity.
“The second obstacle is taking a one-sided view of concerns and sensibilities, where one’s own engagement outweighs any flagged by the other side,” he said.
“As said by External Affairs Minister (External Affairs Minister) Dr. S. Jaishankar, India-China relations should proceed on the basis of three mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest”, he said.
“In an international community where we interact as equals and each other’s important key neighbours, it may not be that only one side’s concerns are relevant while the other side’s matter is ignored,” he said.
Protecting territorial integrity and national security is of equal importance to both sides. He said that merely blaming the other side is not a helpful method.
“And suppressing one’s own concerns and disregarding the concerns and sensibilities of the other party without explanation or recourse is beyond disrespect. It actually creates even more obstacles to finding solutions,” he said.
“The third hurdle is looking at bilateral relations through the prism of relations with other countries. We are two ancient civilizations and two modern Asian nations that have developed their own independent foreign policies and preserve their strategic autonomy.”
“For India, I would say that a policy approach that came into its own six decades ago is still relevant today. India formulates its national and foreign policies based on national interest first and foremost,” Misri said. .
“We believe in multilateralism but we also believe that it needs to be reformed to better deliver its fruits to all stakeholders,” he said.
He said the two countries are engaged in major global dialogue, pursuing their objectives in several smaller forums whose members share common interests.
“Many of these forums include China – SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation), BRICS (Brazil Russia, India, China, South Africa) and RIC (Russia, India, China) are some examples and these dialogues continued during Our bilateral relations are passing through difficult times.
“Therefore, India-China relations should be judged and managed on their merits. They are sufficiently complex and sufficiently complex that they require their own approach and proper operation, without the imaginary third factor making them more complex and distracting us from working on our priorities,” he said. .
He said the two countries should focus on the real issues they face, and use a “sensitive and constructive problem-solving approach” while taking into account each other’s essential autonomy of decision-making.
“Properly addressing and processing differences means confronting them and not carpeting them. This approach will enable us to do what is needed to get the relationship on a healthy track,” he said.
“I am confident that we can solve our current difficulties, without any repercussions that appears to be win or lose for either side. A win-win is very possible for both India and China and we will take it forward. Committed to growing.”
After the standoff in eastern Ladakh in May last year, India has consistently maintained that peace and tranquility in the border areas is essential for the overall development of relations between the two countries.
Besides being neighbours, India and China are also large and emerging economies and “differences and problems are not uncommon”, Indian envoy to China Vikram Misri Addressing the fourth high level Track II Dialogue on Sino-India Relations Held on 23 September.
“The important question is how to deal with them and ensure that the results are informed with the rationale, maturity and respect for maintaining peace on our borders,” Misri said.
The virtually organized meeting was co-hosted by the School of International Studies of Sichuan University (SCU), China Center for South Asian Studies and Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defense Studies and Analysis (MP-IDSA), with several former envoys and scholars had participated. .
Besides Misri, China’s Ambassador to India Sun Weidong also attended the meeting.
Referring to several rounds of talks between top military officials of the two sides and “multi-pronged talks” held by the two countries since last year to resolve the military standoff between External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi in eastern Ladakh, Misri said: “These contacts have resulted in significant progress on the ground”.
“Following the dissolution in Galwan Valley in July last year, both sides have been able to separate from the north and south shores of Pangong Lake in February 2021 and most recently from Gogra in August 2021,” he said.
“Talks are on between the two sides regarding the remaining places and we hope that the disengagement in the remaining friction zones will enable us to reach the point where we can pick up the threads of bilateral cooperation,” he said.
“The experience of this multi-faceted dialogue over the past year and a half gives me confidence that we are well equipped when it comes to resolving important issues in the bilateral relationship,” he said.
“Our leaders have agreed in the past that we must resolve issues peacefully, prevent differences from turning into disputes and most importantly, maintain peace and tranquility in our border areas,” he said.
“Recent experience also suggests that at the grassroots level, when managing a difficult bilateral situation, finding a solution hinges on a mature mind, open channels and continuity between words and actions. But while these are the positive elements we can attract, we must stay away from certain obstacles that can block progress.”
“The first is to avoid changing the goalpost. For a long time, the Indian and Chinese sides have followed a well-informed distinction between resolving the border question and managing border affairs,” he said.
“The 1988 understanding between our leaders was to put the resolution of the boundary question on a different track parallel to that of bilateral relations, with the maintenance of peace and tranquility as a prerequisite,” he said.
The Special Representative Mechanism, the 2005 Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles, and the three-phase framework were all designed to work on the boundary question, “what we agreed was a complex and sensitive issue to work on.” It was the need of the hour,” Misri said. .
“This is the root cause of the tense situation at the borders. We advocate that we should resolve the boundary issue through peaceful dialogue and we do not think that the boundary issue should be linked to our bilateral relations.
But at the same time to manage border affairs on a daily basis, both countries had developed a mechanism, which included tools such as the WMCC (Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs) and a succession of agreements. Protocols and CBMs to control behavior on the ground and ensure peace and quiet.
“A serious breach of peace and tranquility in the border areas naturally requires us to apply our mind on the basis of established agreements, protocols and mechanisms to resolve it. As we do so, any attempt to confuse boundary matters with boundary questions is the loss of the work of those involved in finding solutions.”
This is the reason why the Indian side is constantly saying that the current issue is about restoring peace and tranquility in the border areas and not about resolving the larger boundary question, on which India has not stood despite what happened last year. Changed, she said.
The India-China border dispute involves the 3,488-km Line of Actual Control (LAC).
China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of South Tibet, which India has strongly rejected.
Misri also said that China should not take a one-sided view of mutual concerns and sensitivity.
“The second obstacle is taking a one-sided view of concerns and sensibilities, where one’s own engagement outweighs any flagged by the other side,” he said.
“As said by External Affairs Minister (External Affairs Minister) Dr. S. Jaishankar, India-China relations should proceed on the basis of three mutual respect, mutual sensitivity and mutual interest”, he said.
“In an international community where we interact as equals and each other’s important key neighbours, it may not be that only one side’s concerns are relevant while the other side’s matter is ignored,” he said.
Protecting territorial integrity and national security is of equal importance to both sides. He said that merely blaming the other side is not a helpful method.
“And suppressing one’s own concerns and disregarding the concerns and sensibilities of the other party without explanation or recourse is beyond disrespect. It actually creates even more obstacles to finding solutions,” he said.
“The third hurdle is looking at bilateral relations through the prism of relations with other countries. We are two ancient civilizations and two modern Asian nations that have developed their own independent foreign policies and preserve their strategic autonomy.”
“For India, I would say that a policy approach that came into its own six decades ago is still relevant today. India formulates its national and foreign policies based on national interest first and foremost,” Misri said. .
“We believe in multilateralism but we also believe that it needs to be reformed to better deliver its fruits to all stakeholders,” he said.
He said the two countries are engaged in major global dialogue, pursuing their objectives in several smaller forums whose members share common interests.
“Many of these forums include China – SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organisation), BRICS (Brazil Russia, India, China, South Africa) and RIC (Russia, India, China) are some examples and these dialogues continued during Our bilateral relations are passing through difficult times.
“Therefore, India-China relations should be judged and managed on their merits. They are sufficiently complex and sufficiently complex that they require their own approach and proper operation, without the imaginary third factor making them more complex and distracting us from working on our priorities,” he said. .
He said the two countries should focus on the real issues they face, and use a “sensitive and constructive problem-solving approach” while taking into account each other’s essential autonomy of decision-making.
“Properly addressing and processing differences means confronting them and not carpeting them. This approach will enable us to do what is needed to get the relationship on a healthy track,” he said.
“I am confident that we can solve our current difficulties, without any repercussions that appears to be win or lose for either side. A win-win is very possible for both India and China and we will take it forward. Committed to growing.”
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