New Delhi , Oct 1 ( KINS) : Highlighting the complex nature of dealing with tensions with China, Indian Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi said India will have to compete, cooperate, coexist, confront and compete with China.
“As far as China is concerned, it has been troubling us for quite some time. With China you will have to compete, cooperate, coexist, confront and compete,” he said.
“It is stable but it is not normal and it is sensitive. We want the situation to be restored to what it was before April 2020, whether it is the situation of ground occupation or the buffer zone created,” he said. He reiterated the Army’s readiness, saying, “Until that situation is restored, the situation will remain sensitive and we are fully prepared to deal with any kind of contingency. Trust has become the biggest casualty.”
When asked about the progress of the ongoing talks, Dwivedi said that about 17 Corps Commander-level talks have taken place between the two sides since April. He concluded, “We have come a long way. Now, when we are faced with a difficult situation, both sides need to find a win-win solution.”
Meanwhile, in early September, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) provided an update on the current state of India-China relations, describing it as an ongoing dialogue and efforts to resolve tensions through the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) meetings.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar has consistently addressed the relationship at various forums, emphasising transparency and providing regular updates on the progress of WMCC discussions.
Responding to a question on External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar’s statement that 75 per cent of disengagement problems between India and China have been resolved, Jaiswal said, “The External Affairs Minister has spoken on India-China relations on several occasions. Recently he spoke on it in Berlin. He also spoke on it in New Delhi when he attended an event here. We have also been keeping you informed about the developments in our interactions with the WMCC.”
It is notable that Jaishankar had spoken about the relations between India and China during his Geneva visit and said that “75 per cent of the disengagement problems have been resolved.”
India and China held the 31st meeting of the WMCC in Beijing on August 29 and both sides decided to maintain peace and tranquility on the ground in the border areas in accordance with relevant bilateral agreements and protocols.
Since May 2020, when Chinese troops tried to aggressively change the status quo on the LAC in eastern Ladakh, both sides have been deployed at forward locations near Patrolling Point 15, which has emerged as a flashpoint in the wake of the Galwan clash.
Over 50,000 Indian troops have been deployed at forward posts along the LAC since 2020 with advanced weapons to prevent any attempt to unilaterally change the status quo on the LAC.
