Amid a long-standing border dispute along the Line of Actual Control, India on Wednesday vehemently opposed China’s new ‘Land Boundary Law’ and said that such legislations could hamper bilateral arrangements and border management.
“China’s unilateral decision to bring about a legislation, which can have implication on our existing bilateral arrangements on border management as well as on the boundary question, is of concern to us. Such unilateral move will have no bearing on the arrangements that both sides have already reached earlier, whether it is on the boundary question or for maintaining peace and tranquillity along the LAC in India-China border areas,” the Union Ministry of External Affairs said in an official statement today.
The MEA said that the central government has taken note of the fact that China has passed a new ‘Land Boundary Law’ on 23 October 2021. The law states among other things that China abides by treaties concluded with or jointly acceded to by foreign countries on land boundary affairs. It also has provisions to carry out reorganisation of districts in the border areas.
“The passage of this new law does not in our view confer any legitimacy to the so-called China Pakistan ‘Boundary Agreement’ of 1963 which the government of India has consistently maintained is an illegal and invalid agreement,” the MEA said.
The Foreign Ministry said it expects China “will avoid undertaking action under the pretext of this law which could unilaterally alter the situation in the India-China border areas”.
While China’s new law does not directly indicate any aggressive measures, it does stipulate that the State can take unilateral measures to “strengthen border defence” and “support economic and social development” in border areas.
