Early Boundary Settlement With China Difficult: Kantha, Ex-Envoy
India-China border Dispute: Expert Warns Against Accepting ‘New Normal’
Former Ambassador to China Ashok Kantha expresses skepticism about recent disengagement agreement, urging a return to pre-2020 status quo.
[Image: Screenshot from YouTube video “The Gist” featuring Ashok Kantha]
Hopes for a swift resolution to the India-China border dispute remain dim, according to former Indian Ambassador to China Ashok Kantha. Speaking on “The Gist,” Kantha expressed skepticism about the recent disengagement agreement, warning against accepting a “new normal” that cedes Indian territory.
“The prospects for early movement on the boundary question are not particularly bright,” Kantha stated. He pointed to the deep-seated distrust that has festered since the 2020 Galwan Valley clash, compounded by Chinese president Xi Jinping’s unwavering stance on the boundary dispute as a matter of “sovereignty.”
This uncompromising position,Kantha argued,makes any resolution requiring territorial concessions highly problematic.
While acknowledging the government’s clarification that patrolling in the Depsang plains has resumed, Kantha questioned the situation in Demchok, eastern Ladakh. He highlighted the lack of clarity regarding Indian troop access to patrolling points and grazing rights for local communities.
“This involves restrictions on Indian troops visiting patrolling points … denying access to Indian graziers to pastures they were using earlier … we don’t know how temporary and limited this arrangement is,” Kantha explained. “So our objective has to be what the Chief of army Staff stated publicly … that we go back to the status of April 2020.”
[Image: Graphic depicting the Depsang Plains and demchok regions]
Kantha warned that allowing these buffer zones,some of which encroach on indian territory,to persist would effectively grant China a strategic advantage.He emphasized the Chinese strategy of making incremental gains while avoiding outright military conflict.
“The Chinese always seek to make incremental gains while staying under the threshold of outright military conflict,” Kantha cautioned. “If they have patrolling rights in eastern Ladakh then the government must clarify.”
He stressed the paramount importance of restoring the status quo ante as of April 2020, echoing the stance of the Indian Army Chief.
Kantha’s insights offer a sobering perspective on the complexities of the India-China border dispute. As negotiations continue, his call for vigilance and a firm commitment to pre-2020 territorial integrity serves as a crucial reminder of the stakes involved.
for more in-depth analysis of India-China relations and the latest developments on the border,tune in to “The gist.”
India-China Border Dispute: Expert Warns Against Accepting ‘New Normal’
former Ambassador to China Ashok Kantha expresses skepticism about recent disengagement agreement, urging a return to pre-2020 status quo.
Hopes for a swift resolution to the India-China border dispute remain dim, according to former Indian Ambassador to China ashok Kantha. Speaking on “The Gist,” Kantha expressed skepticism about the recent disengagement agreement, warning against accepting a “new normal” that cedes Indian territory.
“The prospects for early movement on the boundary question are not especially bright,” Kantha stated. He pointed to the deep-seated distrust that has festered since the 2020 Galwan Valley clash,compounded by Chinese president Xi Jinping’s unwavering stance on the boundary dispute as a matter of “sovereignty.”
This uncompromising position, Kantha argued, makes any resolution requiring territorial concessions highly problematic.
While acknowledging the government’s clarification that patrolling in the Depsang plains has resumed, Kantha questioned the situation in Demchok, eastern Ladakh. He highlighted the lack of clarity regarding Indian troop access to patrolling points and grazing rights for local communities.
“This involves restrictions on Indian troops visiting patrolling points … denying access to Indian graziers to pastures they were using earlier … we don’t know how temporary and limited this arrangement is,” Kantha explained. “So our objective has to be what the Chief of army Staff stated publicly … that we go back to the status of April 2020.”
Kantha warned that allowing these buffer zones, some of which encroach on Indian territory, to persist would effectively grant China a strategic advantage. He emphasized the Chinese strategy of making incremental gains while avoiding outright military conflict.
“the Chinese always seek to make incremental gains while staying under the threshold of outright military conflict,” Kantha cautioned. “If they have patrolling rights in eastern Ladakh then the government must clarify.”
He stressed the paramount importance of restoring the status quo ante as of April 2020, echoing the stance of the Indian Army Chief.
Kantha’s insights offer a sobering outlook on the complexities of the India-China border dispute. As negotiations continue, his call for vigilance and a firm commitment to pre-2020 territorial integrity serves as a crucial reminder of the stakes involved.
for more in-depth analysis of india-China relations and the latest developments on the border, tune in to “The gist.”