Soon after the Dalai Lama’s visit to Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh, which created some tension between India and China, the armies of the two countries held a border meeting along the Line of Control in Ladakh sector.
New Delhi (Sputnik) – The Border Personnel meeting was held on the occasion of Harvest Festival, which is celebrated in the region.
New Delhi (Sputnik) – The Border Personnel meeting was held on the occasion of Harvest Festival, which is celebrated in the region.
“The Ceremonial Border Personnel Meeting on the occasion of ‘Harvest Festival’ was conducted on April 10, 2017, at Indian Border Personnel Meeting hut in Chushul and at Indian Meeting Point Hut at Daulat Beg Oldi in Eastern Ladakh,” said a spokesperson of the Northern Command.
“Two armies took a pledge to maintain the sanctity of the borderline to ensure peace and tranquility in the region,” the spokesperson said.
Major General Savneet Singh led Indian troops in Chushul while the Chinese delegation was led by Senior Colonel Xhang Jun Yong. Major Deepak Tiwari led the Indian side in Daulat Beg Oldi while Chinese troops were led by Lieutenant Colonel Duan Yu Gang.
The ceremonial Border Personnel Meetings include saluting the national flag by both the delegations and ceremonial address by the head of the delegation.
The India-China border along the Ladakh is considered a sensitive area and there have been incidents of incursions by Chinese troops in the recent past. Although the incursion generally happens due to the different and conflicting perceptions about the Line of Actual Control, it creates a lot of anti-China rhetoric in India.
“What is a unique aspect of the India-China relations is that the border areas are generally peaceful and there has not been a single bullet fired along the border between the two countries,” Srikanth Kondapalli, Professor of Chinese Studies at Jawaharlal Nehru University, told Sputnik. "The only exception are the incidents of incursions which are mainly due to undefined nature of Line of Actual Control. Our ties with China are good on the trade front. Both the countries are also serious [about] solving the border dispute. We have differences on the strategic front, which is basically due to the hegemonic objective of both the countries."
This story first appeared on Sputnik & is reposted here with permission.