The world community continues to corner China over its military misadventure along the Line of Line Control (LAC) with India. In another such setback to Beijing, a bipartisan resolution was introduced in US Senate on Thursday seeking to “condemn China’s use of military aggression to change the Line of Actual Control with India.” The resolution also called for a diplomatic solution to the standoff and Chinese behaviour along de facto border with India.
Senators John Cornyn (Republican) and Mark Warner (Democrat) moved the resolution that “condemns the People’s Republic of China’s use of military force to change the status quo at the Line of Actual Control.” It also called for a “diplomatic solution that rapidly restores the April 2020 status quo at the Line of Actual Control”.
This development has come as a shot in the arms for the Indian diplomatic team which is on go for quite some time now to get the world community to put pressure on China to disengage along the LAC. Similarly, Indian diplomacy is going ahead with another objective of cornering Beijing over its aggressiveness in the South China Sea.
External Affairs Minister (EAM) S. Jaishankar has himself been in touch with the US officials including his counterpart Mike Pompeo on this agenda.
Meanwhile, the resolution seeks to “commend India for taking steps to secure its telecommunications infrastructure from Chinese security threats” and seeks a commitment to “deepening defense, intelligence and economic ties” between the United States and India and supports bilateral and multilateral partnerships such as the Quadrilateral Security Dialogue “to promote a rules-based order in the Indo-Pacific”.
“The June 15 conflict between China and India, resulting in the deaths of approximately 20 Indian soldiers, should set off alarm bells regarding the PRC’s provocative actions in disputed territory,” Warner said in a statement. He added: “This resolution condemns PRC’s actions to change the Line of Actual Control, especially in the midst of diplomatic negotiations between the two countries; and encourages the two nations to find a diplomatic resolution that restores the April 2020 status quo at the LAC.”
“I commend India’s commitment to standing up to China and maintaining a free and open Indo-Pacific,” Cornyn said, adding: “It is more important than ever that we support our Indian partners as they defend against Chinese aggression.”