Ahead of WMCC talks, EAM Jaishankar says Chinese ‘deployment still continues`

New Delhi: India’s External affairs minister Dr S Jaishankar said that Chinese deployment continues, calling Beijing to live up to its “written commitments”  when it comes to the presence of forces in a large number at the border. The comments come even as India and China are preparing for the next round of Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) diplomatic talks.

Speaking at an event, Jaishankar said, “Close-up deployments still continue, especially in Ladakh. The issue there is whether China will live up to the written commitments which are made about both countries not deploying a large armed force at the border.”

June marked one year since the Galwan incident in which 20 Indian soldiers died due to aggressive actions by the Chinese forces. This was the first incident of bloodshed at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in many decades and plummeted ties between the two Asian neighbours to a historic low.

Calling the India-China border issue “a challenge, a problem”, Jaishankar said, “the larger issue really (is) whether we can build this relationship on the basis of mutual sensitivity, mutual respect and mutual interest”.

February saw the announcement of a pact under which disengagement happened at the Pangong lake area, but disengagement in other areas like Gogra, Hot Springs still remain. The 21st meeting of the WMCC happened on 12 March and as the case is, it was followed by the 11th round of India-China Corps Commander Level which happened on April 9. India during these meetings have been calling for complete disengagement but the Chinese side has not shown any change in stance.

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