Rajnath warns China against unilaterally changing status quo

New Delhi: As the situation in eastern Ladakh remains tense, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has conveyed to his Chinese counterpart Gen. Wei Fenghe that China must strictly respect the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and not make attempts to unilaterally change its status quo.
In the first highest level face-to-face contact between the two sides after border tension erupted in eastern Ladakh in early May, Singh told Wei during their talks in Moscow that China must work with the Indian side for complete disengagement of troops at the earliest from all friction points including Pangong Lake, according to an official statement released here on Saturday. The talks on Friday took place on the sidelines of the meeting of Defence ministers of the 8-nation Shanghai Cooperation Organisation(SCO).
Official sources said Singh told Wei firmly that India will not “cede an inch of land” and is determined to protect the integrity and sovereignty of the country at “all costThey said Singh answered . all the points raised by the Chinese side and rebutted their “false claims”, adding the keenness for the dialogue by China was accentuated by the occupation of strategic points and heights by the Indian armed forces in Pangong area in the last week of August.
Singh also conveyed that China’s actions amassing a large number of troops, its aggressive behaviour and attempts to alter the status quo in Ladakh were in violation of bilateral pacts, the statement said.
The statement said Singh conveyed to Wei that the current situation should be handled responsibly and that neither side take any further action that could either complicate or escalate matters.
The statement said Singh advised it was important that the Chinese side strictly respect the LAC and should not make attempts to unilaterally change the status quo.
Singh also conveyed that the two sides should continue their discussions, including through diplomatic and military channels, to ensure complete disengagement and de-escalation and full restoration of peace and tranquility along the LAC at the earliest, it said.
The statement said the Chinese Defence Minister conveyed that China too desired to resolve the issues peacefully.
“The defence minister categorically conveyed India’s position on the developments along the LAC including in the Galwan Valley in the Western Sector of the India-China Border areas in the last few months,” said the statement released by both the Ministry of External Affairs and Ministry of Defence. (PTI)