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The 23rd meeting of the Special Representatives (SRs) of India and China, was the first in five years and focused on strengthening peace and finding a mutually acceptable resolution to the boundary question.
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The Author is Former Director General of Information Systems and A Special Forces Veteran, Indian Army |
On December 18, 2024 Special Representatives (SRs) of India and China, NSA Ajit Doval and Wang Yi, Member of the Political Bureau of the Communist Party of China (CPC) Central Committee and Minister of Foreign Affairs, met to discuss ways to strengthen peace and tranquillity in border areas in accordance with the consensus reached between Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in Kazan, Russia on October 23, 2024. This was the 23rd meeting of the SRs on the boundary question and first in five years after 2019. Doval also called on China's Vice President Han Zheng during his visit.
India and China have reached a six-point consensus including the resumption of Indian pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar, cross border river cooperation and Nathula border trade
Main points of the brief of the meeting issued by the Ministry of External Affairs are as under:
According to China's Foreign Ministry, India and China have reached a six-point consensus including the resumption of Indian pilgrimage to Kailash Mansarovar, cross border river cooperation and Nathula border trade. The details, as given by china.org.cn are as under:
In the above context, a reading of India and Chinese statements after the meeting of the two SRs published in 'The India China Newsletter' makes interesting reading. The article brings out that China had more to say than the MES brief; by putting out two statements in Mandarin, in addition to a statement on the "Six Point Consensus" reached by both sides.
Viewed separately, the Indian statement lays emphasis on the SRs reiterating the importance of maintaining a political perspective of the overall bilateral relationship while seeking a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable framework for settlement of the boundary question, and resolving to inject more vitality into this process.
China's stance on the boundary is not going to change since Beijing holds all the aces and it now also has Bangladesh's Islamist government as a China-Pakistan ally
In the case of China, Wang Yi stressed "putting the border issue in an appropriate position in bilateral relations", jointly maintaining peace and tranquillity in the border areas, and promoting China-India relations to return to the track of healthy and stable development as soon as possible.
Salient points mentioned in the Chinese statement on the 'six-point consensus' include the following: both sides positively evaluated solution reached on border-related issues (resumption of patrolling), both agreed to take measures to maintain peace and tranquillity in border areas; both reiterated keep looking for a package solution to resolve the border issue in accordance with political guiding principles reached by both SRs in 2005; both agreed to further refine border area control and rules and strengthen CBMs, strengthen cross-border exchanges/ cooperation, promote the resumption of Indian pilgrims' pilgrimage to Tibet, China, cross-border river cooperation and Nathula border trade.
The article lists out the following three points of agreement in both statements:
Where does all this lead us to? A dispassionate analysis by of the two statements and the write up in the 'The India China Newsletter' would indicate that there is no fundamental change in China's from what Wang Yi has stated now - putting the border issue in an appropriate position in bilateral relations or rather delink border issue from bilateral relations. This is something which China has been conveying in various meetings earlier, including the meetings between the two SRs.
India explicitly rejected China's claims regarding the "six-point consensus" on the boundary issue discussed during the SRs meeting
Finally, China's stance on the boundary is not going to change since Beijing holds all the aces and it now also has Bangladesh's Islamist government as a China-Pakistan ally – courtesy the US which worked assiduously to change the regime in that country. This was more than confirmed from news reports that on December 20, 2024, India explicitly rejected China's claims regarding the "six-point consensus" on the boundary issue discussed during the SRs meeting since unilateral changes proposed by China impinges on India's territorial integrity and sovereignty. Why this was not included in the MEA brief issued on December 18 was perhaps to avoid embarrassment at home. So, India can enjoy the Mansarovar Yatra and the Nathula trade unless hiccups arise. As regards to sharing river water data, China weaponized water years back and what data it wants to share is Beijing's decision.