New Delhi: The situation at LAC is sensitive and not normal, army chief General Upendra Dwivedi said on Tuesday while speaking at the Chanakya Defence Dialogue. The Line of Actual Control, LAC, is the unofficial India-China border, and here the general described the situation as "stable" while stating that India wants the conditions at the border to return to how they were before April 2020.
Trust Erodes At LAC Amidst China's Aggressive Behavior
In April 2020, Chinese troops attempted to breach the de facto border in India and were contained by the Indian forces. Nevertheless, tensions prevail concerning the China frontier in eastern Ladakh.
China's aggressive behavior has badly damaged its diplomacy with India. Last week, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar described India's relations with China as "significantly disturbed." General Dwivedi further said that the trust between Indian and Chinese forces at LAC has been the "biggest casualty."
Navigating A Sensitive Status Quo With China
China has been a cause of concern for us for quite some time. The scene during the briefing was provided by how with China we have to compete, cooperate, coexist, confront, and contest. So, what is the situation today? It is stable but not normal and remains sensitive. What we want is things to become like they were before April 2020, including the ground situation, the buffer zones that came up, and the patrolling plan. Till that happens, the situation will remain sensitive and we are fully prepared to face any emergency. Trust has been the biggest loss.
India And China Held Diplomatic Talks To Address LAC Tensions
India and China had two rounds of diplomatic talks in July and August to quickly resolve ongoing issues at the LAC in eastern Ladakh.
Since 2020, India and China have held multiple military and diplomatic talks, resulting in disengagement at several points of conflict. However, they have not fully resolved the border dispute.
It has been last month since national security advisor Ajit Doval met China's foreign minister Wang Yi on the sidelines of the BRICS summit and agreed on working quickly to step up efforts at remaining conflict points in eastern Ladakh for full disengagement.
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