China border soft-pedalling annoys India

India on Thursday expressed its displeasure at the slow pace at which China is implementing steps it has agreed to take for the complete disengagement and de-escalation of its troops along their undemarcated border.

India’s impatience comes against the backdrop of China slowing down the withdrawal of its troops from several points of friction along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) after agreeing to pull them back within a time period accepted by both sides.

India's remote service representative Anurag Srivastava, reacting to inquiries on military pressures with China, said "regarding and carefully submitting to the LAC is the premise of harmony and serenity" between the two nations. 

India has additionally clarified that it is "completely dedicated to watching and regarding the LAC and that we won't acknowledge any one-sided endeavors to change business as usual", he said. 

The uncommon agents of India and China on the fringe question—National Security Advisor Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi—had on 5 July consented to "progress in the direction of complete withdrawal of the soldiers along the LAC and de-heightening from India-China outskirt zones for full reclamation of harmony and serenity," he



said.

“Both sides are engaged in discussions through established diplomatic and military channels to achieve this objective expeditiously," Srivastava said, an indication that the Chinese side was not adhering to the agreement.

This has the potential to upset the incremental gains achieved through many rounds of diplomatic and military-level talks between the two sides.

“The maintenance of peace and tranquillity in the border areas is the basis of our bilateral relationship," Srivastava said.

“Therefore, it is our expectation that the Chinese side will sincerely work with us for complete disengagement and de-escalation and full restoration of peace and tranquillity….at the earliest."

In his comments, Srivastava said senior military commanders of India and China who met for their fourth round of talks on 14 July had also discussed steps for what is seen as the second phase of a process “to ensure complete disengagement."

In this context, “another meeting of the working mechanism for consultation and coordination on India-China border affairs (WMCC) is also expected to be scheduled soon," he said.

A person familiar with the matter said these talks could take place on Friday.