Current situation at LAC arisen due to disregard of written agreements by China, says Jaishankar

Melbourne, Feb. 12 (PTI): The current situation at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) has arisen due to the disregard of written agreements by China not to mass soldiers at the border, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar said on Saturday.

Speaking at a joint press conference along with his Australian counterpart Marise Payne, Jaishankar further said when a large country disregards written commitments, it’s an issue of legitimate concern for the entire international community.

The minister made the comments in response to a question on the eastern Ladakh border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries.

When asked whether the India-China border standoff issue came up for discussion during during the Quad Foreign ministers’ meeting here on Friday, Jaishankar replied, Yes.

“Yes, we (Quad) had a discussion on India-China relations because it was part of how we briefed each other about what was happening in our neighbourhood. And it’s an issue in which a lot of countries legitimately take interest, particularly if they are from the Indo-Pacific region, he said.

The situation at the LAC has arisen due to the disregard by China in 2020 of written agreements with India not to mass forces at the border, he said.

“So, when a large country disregards written commitments, I think it’s an issue of legitimate concern for the entire international community,” he added.

The eastern Ladakh border standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries erupted following a violent clash in the Pangong lake areas and both sides gradually enhanced their deployment by rushing in tens of thousands of soldiers as well as heavy weaponry.

The tension escalated following a deadly clash in Galwan Valley.

As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in the north and south banks of the Pangong lake in February and in the Gogra area in August last year.

India and China held the 14th round of Corps Commander-level meeting on January 12 during which the two sides agreed to maintain dialogue through military and diplomatic channels to work out a “mutually acceptable resolution” of the remaining issues of the standoff at eastern Ladakh.