India, China agree not to disagree on Jaishankar, Wang peace plan

In a fresh round of diplomatic talks to resolve the nearly five-month-long Line of Actual Control (LAC) standoff, India and China on Wednesday agreed to “sincerely implement” the five-point plan reached between External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on 10 September.  

 The virtual talks between Indian and Chinese diplomats were held under the framework of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on border affairs. This was the fifth round of WMCC talks since the ongoing standoff in the Ladakh sector of the LAC began in May this year. 

  The meeting was chaired by Naveen Srivastava, Joint Secretary (East Asia), Ministry of External Affairs, and Hong Liang, Director of the Boundary and Maritime Affairs Department in China’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs. “The two sides reviewed the current situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the India-China border areas and had frank and detailed discussions on the developments since the last meeting of the WMCC on 20 August 2020. The two sides attached importance to the meetings between the two Defence Ministers and the two Foreign Ministers held earlier this month,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

 “They also noted that the agreement between the two Foreign Ministers should be sincerely implemented to ensure disengagement at all the friction points along the LAC,” the MEA added. 

“They agreed that the next (7th) round of meeting of Senior Commanders should be held at an early date so that both sides can work towards early and complete disengagement of the troops,” the ministry added. According to sources, MEA officials have created the much-needed diplomatic pressure on Chinese side, asking them to respect the five-point agreements between Jaishankar and Yi, and also the other pacts signed between New Delhi and Beijing in the past. Sources said, “Now, senior commanders would sit together with China’s military brass to find a way out for complete disengagement and de-escalation.”

 However, the crux of the diplomatic dialogue was that the Indian officials and their counterpart from China focused on the implementation of the five-point consensus reached between foreign ministers of the two countries on 10 September in Moscow to resolve the deadlock in eastern Ladakh at the LAC. During the meeting, both New Delhi and Beijing agreed to “strengthen communication, especially between the ground commanders”. 

In Beijing, Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Wang Wenbin told a media briefing that China and India are holding the 19th meeting of the WMCC on China-India Border Affairs.

 “The main topics discussed are how to implement the five-point consensus reached in Moscow by the two foreign ministers to resolve outstanding issues on the ground and to ease the situation along the border,” he said. Meanwhile, the MEA said,

 “In this regard, the two sides positively evaluated the outcome of the 6th Senior Commanders meeting on 21 September. They emphasised the need to implement the steps outlined in the joint press release issued after the last meeting of the senior commanders so as to avoid misunderstandings and to maintain stability on the ground. In this context, the need to strengthen communication, especially between the ground commanders, was emphasized by both sides.”

 “Both sides agreed to continue to maintain close consultations at the diplomatic and military level. In this regard, they agreed that the next (7th) round of the meeting of Senior Commanders should be held at an early date so that both sides can work towards early and complete disengagement of the troops along the LAC in accordance with the existing bilateral agreement and protocols, and fully restore peace and tranquility.”