3-hr China-India talks skip incursion

BEIJING: Minister for external affairs Salman Khurshid held a three-hour-long discussion with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi but did not ask China’s leaders why the People’s Liberation Army crossed over to the Indian side in Ladakh saying he saw no reason to go into “details of hair splitting” at this stage.
Khurshid was speaking to Indian journalists after covering a range of issues with Wang, but when asked whether the Chinese minister explained the reason behind the incursion, Khurshid said, “I didn’t look for it.”

“We are not even ready with our analysis. We are clear it has happened. It is not clear why it happened,” Khurshid said. The two governments were keen to resolve the border differences in the normal way using the mechanisms of consultations that have been built up over the years, Khurshid said. “If necessary, the two sides will examine if there was a need to improve or alter the existing mechanisms for dialogue and the system of information sharing,” he added.

The focus of the Khurshid-Wang discussions was to find long-term solutions to border problems and look beyond the April 15 incident. Khurshid indicated that the two governments are determined to bury the hatchet and try to ensure there are no future troubles along the border.

On its part, China said it would push India to agree on an economic corridor connecting the two countries by a road passing through Myanmar. Chinese leaders told Khurshid that they have a total of $500 billion to spend globally, and India could get a good share of it if it wanted to. Talking about the Ladakh stand-off , Khurshid said, “The episode had cast a shadow. We are all happy we have got over it. It’s not good to apportion blame.”

NSA’s phone call resolved LAC stand-off

It took a phone call from national security adviser (NSA) Shivshankar Menon to Yang Jiechi, China’s new special representative for boundary talks, last Sunday to finally get the Chinese troops to pack up their tents and leave the Depsang Bulge. The orders were sent to the troops on Sunday evening to agree to withdraw to their pre-April 15 positions. Menon in his conversation with Yang stressed the significance of Chinese troops withdrawing, sources said. India aided the withdrawal efforts by demolishing a tin-shed bunker in the Chumar area. “We have done the best we can on defence preparedness,” a sources said, given the quick reaction by Indian forces who responded to the Chinese by setting up tents in the area, resulting in a face-off situation.

Indrani Bagchi