New Delhi: Amid the ongoing standoff between India and China, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has asserted that India never accepted the so-called unilaterally defined 1959 Line of Actual Contro (LAC), adding that the position has been consistent and well known including to the Chinese.
The MEA said India urged China to “sincerely and faithfully” abide by all “agreements and understandings in their entirety and refrain from advancing an untenable unilateral interpretation of the LAC”.
its attempts to transgress LAC in various parts of the Western Sector tried to unilaterally alter status quo,” the MEA said.
“We’ve seen report quoting a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement on China’s position on Line of Actual Control in India-China border areas. India never accepted the so-called unilaterally defined 1959 LAC. The position has been consistent, well known; including to the Chinese,” the MEA stated.
“Under their various bilateral agreements including 1993 Agreement on Maintenance of Peace & Tranquility along LAC, 1996 Agreement on Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) in military field, 2005 Protocol on Implementation of CBMs, 2005 Agreement on Political Parameters & Guiding Principles for settlement of the India-China Boundary Question, both India and China have committed to clarification and confirmation of the LAC to reach a common understanding of the alignment of the LAC,” the ministry said further.
“The two sides had engaged in an exercise to clarify and confirm the LAC up to 2003, but the process couldn’t proceed further as Chinese didn’t show willingness. Therefore, the Chinese insistence now that there is only one LAC is contrary to solemn commitments made by them,” it added.
India called on China to “sincerely and faithfully” follow all agreements and understandings “in their entirety and refrain from advancing an untenable unilateral interpretation of the LAC”.
With inputs from OpIndia and Times Now News
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by Kashmir Today staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)