Foreign minister S Jaishankar allays Chinese fear on Ladakh

NEW DELHI: Change of Ladakh’s status would not impact the Line of Actual Control, foreign minister S Jaishankar has said, allaying Chinese fears while emphasising that New Delhi was not making any additional territorial claims.

Jaishankar’s response came after Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi, who had a bilateral meeting with him in Beijing on Monday, brought up the legislation passed recently by Parliament on Jammu & Kashmir. Jaishankar told him it was changes made in a temporary provision in the Constitution and meant to promote better governance and socio-economic development. There was no implication for India’s external boundaries or LAC, Jaishankar told Wang and added the two sides had agreed to a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable settlement of the boundary based on the ‘2005 political parameters and guiding principles’.

Wang referred to rising tensions between India and Pakistan following the legislation, but Jaishankar emphasised that India’s internal matter had no bearing on Pakistan.