New Delhi:

There is no contradiction of position on the situation along the Line of Actual Control in eastern Ladakh, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) asserted on Friday, days after Army Chief Gen Upendra Dwivedi said a “degree” of standoff exists between Indian and Chinese militaries in the region.

“We do not see any contradiction between what the Army Chief has said and the position we have taken,” MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said.

Following an understanding reached on October 21, the Indian and Chinese militaries sides completed the disengagement of troops at the two remaining friction points of Demchok and Depsang.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping held talks on the margins of the BRICS Summit in Russia on October 23 and agreed to revive various bilateral dialogue mechanisms, signalling an intention to normalise the relations.

Last month, NSA Ajit Doval travelled to Beijing and held Special Representatives talks with Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on the boundary dispute.

At a press conference this week, Gen Dwivedi said there is still a “degree” of standoff between the Indian and Chinese militaries and both sides need to sit down and firm up a broader understanding on how to calm down the situation and restore trust.

Asked about the Army chief’s remarks, Jaiswal said his weekly media briefing that both the Army and the MEA are on the same page on the issue.

“I would refer to the position taken by the external affairs minister in the parliament. The external affairs minister had made the position very clear with regard to disengagement,” Jaiswal said.

“Where the October 21st understanding is concerned, our objective has been to ensure patrolling as in the past to the relevant patrolling points as well as resumption of grazing by our civilians as per longstanding practice,” he said.

“This is indeed what we have agreed upon with regard to Depsang and Demchok. The terms of the disengagement agreement reached prior to October 21, 2024 continue to hold in relevant areas in eastern Ladakh,” he added.

Jaiswal also noted that Jaishankar had also underlined that the “task of de-escalation remains to be addressed”.

“If you take these issues into account, you would realise that there is absolutely no contradiction between the positions taken,” he said.

In his remarks, Gen Dwivedi, describing the situation in the region as “sensitive but stable”, said the corps commanders of the Army have been delegated powers to resolve “trivial” matters or “minor frictions” relating to patrolling and grazing so that they do not become “big” issues later.

The Army Chief also said that there was no such thing called buffer zones as a temporary moratorium was put on patrolling in certain areas to avoid chances of violence.

Gen Dwivedi said the Army is looking forward to the next meeting of the Special Representatives on the boundary question of the two countries as well as talks under the framework of WMCC (Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination) on India-China border affairs.

We will be moving forward based on the guidance emerging from the meetings, he had said. 

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

Watch: PM Modi meets Chinese President Xi Jinping | India says peace, stability on LAC is vital

In their first formal bilateral meeting in five years, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping on Wednesday (October 23, 2024) welcomed the agreement for a resolution of the military stand-off at the Line of Actual Control announced earlier this week, as officials said they have now “set the process in motion for bringing [India-China] relations back to a normal path”.

In his opening remarks, Mr. Modi told Mr. Xi that maintaining peace and stability on the border should be a “priority” for both sides, but did not go into details of how the stand-off began in April 2020, when the Chinese PLA amassed troops along the LAC and transgressed the boundary, leading to a counter-deployment by the Indian Army.

In the talks held on the sidelines of the ongoing BRICS summit in Kazan, the leaders decided to restart dialogue mechanisms between Foreign Ministers and other officials to “stabilise and rebuild bilateral relations” that have been virtually suspended on most issues other than the boundary situation, the Ministry of External Affairs said in a statement after the meeting. They also tasked Special Representatives on the boundary question, National Security Adviser (NSA) Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister and senior Politburo member of the Chinese Communist Party Wang Yi to meet at an “early date” to take forward the larger questions of resolving the boundary dispute.

Editorial | ​Over the borderline: On the India-China deal 

“We believe that the India-China relationship is very important not only for our people but also for global peace, stability and progress,” said Mr. Modi. “Maintaining peace and stability on the border should remain our priority. Mutual trust, mutual respect and mutual sensitivity should remain the basis of our relations,” he added.

Mr. Modi and Mr. Xi had last met for formal talks in Mamallapuram and the BRICS Summit in Brasilia in 2019, and held unscheduled interactions at the G-20 Summit in Indonesia in 2022, and the BRICS Summit in South Africa in 2023.

Strong ties

“Both the people in our two countries and the international community are paying great attention to our meeting,” Mr. Xi began his comments, calling on both India and China as “ancient civilisations, major developing countries, and important members of the Global South” to take bilateral relations in the “right direction” as they had historically. “It is important for both sides to have more communication and cooperation, properly handle our differences and disagreements to facilitate each other’s development,” he added.

BRICS Summit 2024 LIVE updates – October 23, 2024

A readout by the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs also quoted Mr. Xi as saying it was important that the two countries “see each other as an opportunity for development and do not pose a threat to each other” and “are partners rather than competitors”.

Briefing journalists in Kazan before departing for Delhi, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, who had on Monday first announced the agreement on “patrolling arrangements” and resolution of pending issues, gave more details of the breakthrough, although neither side has yet released the text of the agreement.

Mr. Misri said that after an impasse on the disengagement process in 2022, both Indian and Chinese officials had been involved in trying to find a resolution in the areas of Depsang and Demchok. He said that the “next steps” would involve “activating” bilateral mechanisms on various fronts.

While stating that the agreement would “certainly lead to an easing of the situation along the LAC”, Mr. Misri declined to comment on whether it would mean that Indian and Chinese soldiers would now not need to spend another “freezing” winter season at the boundary. “I would defer this question to our military leadership, because this relates to operational matters, and I think it would be best that we let our military leaders dwell on this particular issue,” Mr. Misri said, also side-stepping questions about the resumption of the Kailash-Mansarovar yatra or the restoration of direct travel routes between the two countries until the officials concerned meet.

When asked whether Russian President Vladimir Putin had played a “peace-making” role in the timing of the LAC agreement, which was forged between military and diplomatic officials on Monday after weeks of intense negotiations, Mr. Misri said that both sides could “certainly thank Russia for providing the venue”.

If the disengagement process, followed by the “de-escalation and de-induction” process goes ahead, officials said that they expect to see meetings between Mr. Wang and both Mr. Doval and External Affairs Minister Jaishankar in the next few weeks.

While Mr. Modi might meet Mr. Xi or Chinese Premier Li Qiang at other multilateral events in the next few months, he is also due to visit China for the SCO Heads of State Summit in 2025.

Mr. Misri said that Mr. Modi had promised “India’s full support to China’s SCO presidency” next year during the meeting on Wednesday, where both leaders were flanked by their Foreign Ministers, NSAs and other key officials.

New Delhi:

India and China on Thursday had a “frank, constructive and forward-looking” exchange of views on the situation along the LAC to “narrow down” differences and find an early resolution to outstanding issues, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

The 31st meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination (WMCC) on India-China Border Affairs was held in Beijing, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

During the meeting, it was reiterated that “restoration of peace and tranquillity, and respect for the LAC are the essential basis for restoration of normalcy in bilateral relations”, it said.

In line with the guidance provided by the two foreign ministers’ meetings in Astana and Vientiane in July to accelerate the discussions, and building on the WMCC meeting held last month, “the two sides had a frank, constructive and forward-looking exchange of views on the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to narrow down the differences and find early resolution of the outstanding issues”, the statement said.

For this, they further agreed for “intensified contact through diplomatic and military channels”.

Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary (east Asia), from the MEA led the Indian delegation. The Chinese delegation was led by Hong Liang, director general of the Boundary & Ocean Affairs Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In the meantime, the two sides decided to jointly uphold peace and tranquillity on the ground in the border areas, in accordance with relevant bilateral agreements, protocols and understandings reached between the two governments, the MEA statement said.

The leader of the Indian delegation also called on the vice-minister in the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The 30th meeting of the WMCC was held in New Delhi on July 31.

(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 on Thursday had a “frank, constructive and forward-looking” exchange of views on the situation along the LAC to “narrow down” differences and find an early resolution to outstanding issues, the Ministry of External Affairs said.

The 31st meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation & Coordination (WMCC) on India-China Border Affairs was held in Beijing, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.

During the meeting, it was reiterated that “restoration of peace and tranquillity, and respect for the LAC are the essential basis for restoration of normalcy in bilateral relations”, it said.

In line with the guidance provided by the two foreign ministers’ meetings in Astana and Vientiane in July to accelerate the discussions, and building on the WMCC meeting held last month, “the two sides had a frank, constructive and forward-looking exchange of views on the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) to narrow down the differences and find early resolution of the outstanding issues”, the statement said.

For this, they further agreed for “intensified contact through diplomatic and military channels”.

Gourangalal Das, Joint Secretary (east Asia), from the MEA led the Indian delegation. The Chinese delegation was led by Hong Liang, director general of the Boundary & Ocean Affairs Department of the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

In the meantime, the two sides decided to jointly uphold peace and tranquillity on the ground in the border areas, in accordance with relevant bilateral agreements, protocols and understandings reached between the two governments, the MEA statement said.

The leader of the Indian delegation also called on the vice-minister in the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs.

The 30th meeting of the WMCC was held in New Delhi on July 31.
 

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

Ma Jia, Chargé d’Affaires a.i. of Chinese Embassy in India 

India and China trade reached record levels in 2023, said the Chinese envoy to India, indicating that bilateral trade had surpassed 2022 figures despite a slowdown mid-year. Speaking at an event in Delhi celebrating the Chinese New Year, the envoy, Charge D’Affaires Ma Jia said that the growth in trade, to US $136.2 billion went along with other areas of “improvement” in bilateral ties, pointing to the informal meeting between PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping in August.

In 2022, bilateral trade had reached a record $135.98, while the trade deficit in favour of China had crossed a mammoth $100 billion driven by a 21% rise in Imports from China into India, despite continuing bilateral tensions over the military standoff at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

“Over the past year, China-India relations have shown a positive momentum of improvement. The two sides maintained high-level communications and interactions. President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi reached important consensus on stabilizing bilateral ties. China supported India’s presidency of both G20 and SCO,” Ms. Ma said, addressing guests at a reception held at the Chinese Embassy in Delhi on Tuesday.

“Bilateral trade volume reached 136.2 billion US dollars last year, with a year-on-year growth of 1.5%. India’s exports to China also increased by 6% last year,” she added, indicating that the bilateral trade deficit, which India has been seeking to decrease could also be lower, according to the figures, that were announced officially for the first time.

Despite the increase in engagement, China has not appointed an Ambassador to Delhi in over 16 months, the longest such period thus far, and Ms. Ma is due to complete her assignment in Delhi soon. The two countries have also not resumed direct flights between them, and the increase in trade comes in spite of the other restrictions on trade and investment placed by India since 2020 in the wake of the Galwan clashes and killing of soldiers.

“As the spring comes, we hope the window for communications gets bigger, the platform of practical cooperation becomes larger, the bridge for people-to-people exchanges will be rebuilt, and the two peoples can invest in and travel to each other’s country freely and conveniently,” Ms. Ma said, also commending India for its “best-ever performance in the Asian Games,” in Hangzhou last year.

 The Chinese envoy didn’t make any direct reference to the tensions at the LAC, where military commanders have held 20 rounds of talks since China amaassed troops along the LAC in April 2020 and clashes ensued. Despite the multiple rounds, and the informal meeting between the leaders on the sidelines of the BRICS summit in South Africa last year, talks remain deadlocked on at least two friction points at Demchok and Depsang. 

Instead, referring to the 70th anniversary of the India-China Panchsheel agreement this year, Ms. Ma called the five principles of peaceful coexistence “a basic norm governing international relations.”

“In 2024, we hope conflicts and wars will be brought to an end, displaced people return to their home at an early date, and international justice and fairness will be truly upheld,” Ms. Ma said.

Maldives tourism hit: Controversial tweets by Maldives ministers against PM Modi sparked a call by some Indians on social media to boycott the Maldives
| Photo Credit: AFP

In January, controversial tweets by deputy ministers of the Maldives on Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to Lakshadweep led to a diplomatic row between the two countries. The consequences of this row have been two-fold. The tweets sparked a call by some Indians on social media to boycott the Maldives. This was an attempt by them to puncture the biggest money-maker for the Maldives, the tourism industry. Meanwhile, Maldivian President Mohamed Muizzu strengthened ties with one of India’s rivals, China. Just a few days after tensions between the Maldives and India flared up, Mr. Muizzu visited China, met with Chinese President Xi Jinping, and appealed to Chinese tourists to visit his nation in large numbers and reclaim the top spot in tourist arrivals, which they once held.

Chart 1 | The chart shows the number of tourists who visited the Maldives in the first 35 days of 2023 and 2024.

Charts appear incomplete? Click to remove AMP mode

While the number of Indian tourists visiting the Maldives has declined marginally, Chinese tourists have swifty filled this gap, resulting in an overall increase in tourist inflows, data show. The number of Indians who visited the archipelago dropped marginally from 21,460 to 16,895 in the period considered. It is important to note that the decline cannot be entirely attributed to the boycott call as a considerable share may also have dropped their plans fearing repercussions of the ongoing row, among other reasons. Moreover, the number of Russian tourists also decreased from 26,305 to 22,577 in the period, so India is not an outlier.

Also read: Indian tourists’ boycott call post Modi visit to Lakshadweep may impact Maldives | Data

The decline in Indian visitors did not have an impact on the overall number of tourists to the Maldives. In fact, if the first 35 days of 2023 and 2024 are compared, the number of tourists went up slightly from 1,97,252 to 2,22,502. This increase is entirely due to the sudden surge in the number of Chinese tourists from just 6,563 to 25,303 in the period.

Chart 2 | The chart shows the number of medical tourists from the Maldives who visited India for treatments.

More worryingly, the impact of the diplomatic fallout has been felt by more than just the tourism industry. Generally, 20,000 to 40,000 medical tourists from the Maldives visit India annually for treatment (Chart 2). On January 13, Mr. Muizzu announced that the government’s health insurance scheme will cover visits to the UAE and Thailand too, to “diminish reliance on a select group of countries”. He made this announcement immediately after his return from China. He also said that a 100-bed hospital with Chinese aid will be built.

Mr. Muizzu and Mr. Xi signed key agreements, including agricultural schemes that would “end its [Maldives’] dependence on one country for imported staple foods such as rice, sugar, and flour,” by growing them locally. Currently, the Maldives relies heavily on India for a number of products.

Chart 3 | The chart shows the value of commodities imported by the Maldives from India, between 2019 and 2021, in $ (vertical axis). On the horizontal axis, India’s share (%) in the Maldives’s total imports, across commodities is depicted.

The Maldives imports over 95% of its granite, 40% of its steel bars and coils, over 30% of tubes/pipes, electric motors and cement, 65% of flat-rolled iron and stainless steel sheets, and over 50% of bulldozers from India (Chart 3). Moreover, it sources over 80% of rice, 60% of eggs, close to 30% of cattle meat, 50% of onions, melons and nuts, 25% of wheat, over 45% of crabs/shrimp/prawns and cabbages, and 40% of tomatoes from India. Essentially, the tourism boom in the Maldives — from food to stay — relies heavily on the supply of raw materials from India.

Chart 4 | The chart shows the value of commodities exported by India to the Maldives in $ (vertical axis) and the Maldives’s share in India’s total exports (horizontal axis).

India exports 70% of its cabbages/cauliflowers, over 20% of eggs, over 10% of its melons and live animals and nuts to the Maldives. The archipelago’s key agreements with China after the fallout with India threatens this mutually beneficial relationship, and gives China more sway in the Indian Ocean region.

Source: UNcomtrade portal, India Tourism Statistics, Republic of Maldives’s Ministry of Tourism

vignesh.r@thehindu.co.in, sonikka.l@thehindu.co.in

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