Rajnath Singh meets his Chinese counterpart in Moscow to resolve the four month-long standoff

Srushti Kulkarni 7th September, 2020

India objects to the aggressive behaviour of the Chinese troops (Source: Wio news)

India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh met his Chinese counterpart General Wei Fenghe on Friday to discuss ways to ease the four-month-long standoff escalating the border tension in Eastern Ladakh according to NDTV.

As reported by The Hindu, Gen. Wei Fenghe had requested an audience with Rajnath Singh on the sidelines of their three-day visit to Russia commemorating the 75th anniversary of the Allied victory in the second world war. The meeting was the first high-level face to face contact between the two nations. The Chinese Defense Minister exclaimed that these disputes are affecting the relationship between India and China while he also blamed India for the disputes caused at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

According to the Economic Times, Rajnath Singh expressed his concerns to his Chinese counterpart on the border tension stating that China must respect the LAC and they must not make any further attempts to unilaterally change the status quo by violating the bilateral agreement. He raised objections against the amassing of troops and the aggressive behaviour of the Chinese army. The Indian Defense Minister also requested Gen. Wei Fenghe to disengage their army from the areas of friction like the southern bank of Pangong lake at the earliest, to function as an attempt to restore peace and tranquillity at the borders.

Times of India reported that The Indian Minister—addressing the meeting—remarked, “peaceful, stable and secure region of SCO member states, home to over 40 per cent of the global population, demands a climate of trust and cooperation, non-aggression, respect for international rules, sensitivity to each other’s interest and peaceful resolution of differences. I reaffirm today that India is committed to the evolution of a global security architecture which will be open, transparent, inclusive, rules-based and anchored in international laws”.

Rajnath Singh also apparently informed Gen. Wei Fenghe of India’s stance on the developments along the LAC in the Galwan Valley, located in the Western Sector of the India-China border. He marked that in the interest of easing tension, communication between both countries must be maintained at all times through diplomatic and military media. However, the Indian army is determined to protect the territorial integrity and sovereignty of the nation.

(Sources: Times of India, Economic Times, The Hindu, NDTV)

Edited by Varun Vyas Hebbalalu