On 29 September, India refuted China’s claim of accepting 1959 Line of Actual Control.
The Chinese Foreign Minister said that 1959 LAC was clearly accepted when China had announced it in the 1950s. They claimed that the international community including India had agreed to the alignment. However, India’s Ministry of External Affairs stated that India has never agreed to the 1959 Line of Actual Control. Also, China had full knowledge of our position in the matter.
The 1959 LAC goes back to 1914 Shimla convention where the McMahon line was introduced that divided Tibet from India. In 1959, Premier Zhou, head of the Chinese government wrote to Nehru stating that the McMahon line was imposed by the British and it not legal. It was also included that both the countries shall withdraw their forces 20km from the eastern side of the McMahon Line and also from where both the sides exercise control.
When in 1950, China had no objections when the Prime Minister of India stated that ‘the McMahon line is our boundary’ including “the frontier from Ladakh to Nepal’.
In 1954, India was alarmed when they realised that the map used by the Chinese demarcated New Delhi in their boundary. The Chinese then began following the boundary line that was formed before the McMahon Line was introduced.
The Indian spokesperson, Srivastava said that China had acknowledged the other agreements including the 2005 Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for settlement of the India-China Boundary. He also claimed that the Chinese believe that there is only one LAC which contradicts their earlier commitments.
In the recent agreement between the external affairs of India and the Chinese, it was confirmed that the Chinese would stand by all the agreements. As the result, India apprehends that the Chinese will sincerely agree to all the pacts and would not make a new interpretation of the LAC. The Ministry of External Affairs accused the Chinese of the lack of attention and ability to simplify the situation of the borders for about two decades.
The former Commander Lieutenant General of the Northern Army said that India has never accepted 1959 LAC. It was never brought into the light to be acknowledged. Rajnath Singh, Defence Minister of India clarified that India has always respected its borders and China’s pursuit of LAC was to unilaterally affect the state of affairs.
The Chinese spokesperson, Weidong said that further clarifications with regard to 1959 LAC would worsen the situation for both the nations. The debates were initiated, as an attempt to uphold peace.
Both the nuclear-armed countries have been engaged in a standoff since May. They have witnessed continuous clashes and conflicts, have faced fatalities in decades. Both the nations are indulged in finding a diplomatic solution, which can prevent the unforeseen war.
