External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said the discussions with the Chinese on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) row in eastern Ladakh is “work in progress” and India will “wait to see how this plays out”. Speaking at a media event, the EAM recalled his meet with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in September.
The EAM said, “we had a discussion and we agreed on the importance of early disengagement and since then the meeting has happened between the military commanders assisted by diplomats. That is work in progress”.
He added, “we regularly patrol the Line of Actual Control…Army is present and is monitoring…discussion is going on, it is work in progress. The first rule is don’t predict what is going on”.
The ties between the two countries have suffered after the increased Chinese build-up and Galwan Valley incident in which India lost 20 of its soldiers.
Describing the Chinese troop build-up as one that “has no precedent in recent past” and whose “gravity..is certainly there”, EAM said, “Can rising China and rising India find an equilibrium and situation at borders is an expression of that challenge, inability to meet the challenge?”
He explained, “If underlined peace and tranquillity is disturbed, if the agreements…are not honoured, then that is the primary cause of disruption..”
The 7th corps commanders talks happened on October 12 (Monday), in which the Chinese gave a proposal. The proposal has been discussed in the China study group.
