New Delhi:

Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has snubbed Opposition charges over alleged Chinese intrusions with an assertion that no one can occupy even an inch of land in the country.

In an exclusive interview with NDTV, he also said that his party has never questioned the courage and bravery of the country’s soldiers.

“As the Defence Minister, I want to assure the citizens that no one can capture even one inch of land of the country,” he asserted as the Opposition continued to press the government over alleged incursions. On multiple instances earlier, the government had denied Opposition claims that China had taken away India’s land. 

India and China witnessed a border standoff in 2020 as the soldiers of the two countries clashed near the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh.

Mr Singh said that the two countries are now holding commander-level talks to solve the border dispute, the details of which cannot be revealed at this stage. But, if it’s discussed, it will make the people proud, he said.

“Commander-level talks are being held currently between India and China in a good atmosphere and I think we must wait for the results. But if I start discussing what’s at which point, people will feel proud. But I don’t want to reveal the details right now because talks are underway between the two countries,” said the Defence Minister.

Tensions between the two countries had spiralled again in December 2022 when another clash erupted along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector, with the government accusing China of trying to “unilaterally” change the status quo along the LAC.

China claims Arunachal Pradesh to be a part of Tibet, which India has rejected multiple times in the past. India maintains Arunachal is an integral part of the country.

New Delhi:

The 29th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs has been held and the two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on how to achieve “complete disengagement” and resolve the remaining issues along the LAC, the MEA said on Thursday.

The key meeting was held in Beijing on March 27, it said in a statement.

“The two sides had an in-depth exchange of views on how to achieve complete disengagement and resolve the remaining issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector of India-China border areas,” the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said.

Joint Secretary (East Asia) from the MEA led the Indian delegation. The Chinese delegation was led by Director General of the Boundary and Oceanic Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the statement said.

“In the interim, both sides agreed to maintain regular contact through diplomatic and military channels and on the need to uphold peace and tranquility on the ground in the border areas in accordance with existing bilateral agreements and protocols,” it said.

The 28th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs was held on November 30 last year.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

New Delhi:

India and China held a fresh round of high-level military talks to resolve the over three-and-half-year-old border row in eastern Ladakh that saw both sides agreeing to maintain “peace and tranquillity” on the ground but there was no indication of any breakthrough.

The 21st round of India-China corps commander level meeting was held at the Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on February 19, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Wednesday.

The Indian side strongly pressed for resolution of the lingering issues at Depsang and Demchok, people familiar with the matter said, adding there was no tangible forward movement in the talks.

The MEA said the two sides agreed to maintain communication on the way ahead through the relevant military and diplomatic mechanisms.

“The discussions built on the previous rounds, seeking complete disengagement in the remaining areas along the LAC (Line of Actual Control) in eastern Ladakh as an essential basis for the restoration of peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas,” it said in a statement.

The MEA said the two sides shared their perspectives on this in the talks held in a “friendly and cordial” atmosphere.

“The two sides have agreed to maintain communication on the way ahead through the relevant military and diplomatic mechanisms. They also committed to maintain peace and tranquillity on the ground in the border areas in the interim,” it said.

In Beijing, China’s ministry of national defence said the two militaries have agreed to maintain communication on current border issues.

It said the talks were held at the Moldo-Chushul border meeting point on the Chinese side.

The two sides conducted positive, in-depth, and constructive communication on resolving border issues of mutual concern, it said.

Both sides agreed to continue communication through military and diplomatic channels, guided by the important consensus of the leaders of the two countries, to reach an acceptable solution as soon as possible and “turn the page” in the border situation, the Chinese readout said.

The 20th round of military talks were held on October 9 and 10.

Following that round of talks, the MEA had said that the two sides exchanged views in a frank, open and constructive manner for an early and mutually acceptable resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC.

Last month, Army Chief Gen Manoj Pande said that the situation along the LAC in eastern Ladakh is “stable” but “sensitive” and asserted that the Indian troops are maintaining a “very high state” of operational preparedness to effectively deal with any eventualities.

Gen Pande also said that both India and China continue to hold talks at military and diplomatic levels with an aim to return to the “status quo ante” that existed in the middle of 2020.

The Indian and Chinese troops are locked in a standoff in certain friction points in eastern Ladakh even as the two sides completed disengagement from several areas following extensive diplomatic and military talks.

The Indian delegation at the talks was headed by Lt Gen Rashim Bali, the Commander of the Leh-headquartered 14 Corps while the Chinese team was led by the commander of the South Xinjiang military district.

India has been maintaining that its ties with China cannot be normal unless there is peace in the border areas.

The eastern Ladakh border standoff erupted on May 5, 2020, following a violent clash in the Pangong lake area.

The ties between the two countries nosedived significantly following the fierce clash in the Galwan Valley in June 2020 that marked the most serious military conflict between the two sides in decades.

As a result of a series of military and diplomatic talks, the two sides completed the disengagement process in 2021 on the north and south banks of the Pangong lake and in the Gogra area.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)