India, China to hold 7th meet of commanders

New Delhi: India on Wednesday raised with China its refusal to recognise the status the Union Territory of Ladakh. ET has learnt that the matter was raised at Wednesday’s meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs. India stated it has never accepted the so-called unilaterally defined 1959 Line of Actual Control.The two nations also agreed that senior commanders should meet soon to work out early troops withdrawal from eastern Ladakh in accordance with bilateral pacts and protocols.The two sides reviewed the situation on the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh and had detailed discussions on developments since the August 20 WMCC meeting, an MEA statement said in New Delhi. The meeting discussed how to implement the ‘five-point consensus’ foreign ministers recently.“They emphasised the need to implement steps outlined in the joint press release issued after the last meeting of the senior commanders 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. Both sides agreed to continue to maintain close consultations at the diplomatic and military level. They agreed that the next 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,” the MEA statement said.The Indian delegation was led by foreign ministry joint secretary for east Asia while the director general of the Boundary & Oceanic Department led the Chinese delegation. The two sides positively evaluated the outcome of the 6th senior commanders meeting on September 21.In a related development, Chinese ambassador Sun Weidong told a webinar, “properly handling differences is the right way. The current situation in the border areas serves no one’s interests. We should implement the leaders’ consensus on not allowing differences to become disputes. China is committed to seeking a solution through dialogue and negotiation.”

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