India rejects China's claim: 'Never accepted the unilaterally defined 1959 LAC'

New Delhi, Sept 30: Rebutting China's statements on its position on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the India-China border area, India asserted that it has never accepted "the so-called unilaterally defined 1959 Line of Actual Control" adding that the county's position has been consistent and well known to all including China.

 

 

The statement by The ministry of external affairs (MEA) came in response to queries on the recent media report quoting a Chinese Foreign Ministry statement regarding China’s position on the LAC. MEA Official Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, "India has never accepted the so-called unilaterally defined 1959 Line of Actual Control (LAC). This position has been consistent and well known, including to the Chinese side."

 

The spokesperson also highlighted that under their various bilateral agreements including the the1993 Agreement on Maintenance of Peace and Tranquility along the LAC, 1996 Agreement on Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) in the military field, 2005 Protocol on Implementation of CBMs, 2005 Agreement on Political Parameters, and Guiding Principles for settlement of the India-China Boundary Question, both "India and China have committed to clarification and confirmation of the LAC to reach a common understanding of the alignment of the LAC."

 

"In fact, the two sides had engaged in an exercise to clarify and confirm the LAC up to 2003, but this process could not proceed further as the Chinese side did not show a willingness to pursue it. Therefore, the insistence now of the Chinese side that there is only one LAC is contrary to the solemn commitments made by China in these agreements," he added.

 

India has clearly mentioned, "the Indian side has always respected and abided by the LAC. As the Hon’ble Raksha Mantri stated in the Parliament recently, it is the Chinese side which by its attempts to transgress the LAC in various parts of the Western Sector, has tried to unilaterally alter the status quo."

 

In the last few months, the Chinese side has repeatedly affirmed that the current situation in the border areas should be resolved in accordance with the agreements signed between the two countries. In the agreement reached between External Affairs Minister and his Chinese counterpart on 10th September also, the Chinese side has reiterated its commitment to abide by all the existing agreements. "We, therefore, expect that the Chinese side will sincerely and faithfully abide by all agreements and understandings in their entirety and refrain from advancing an untenable unilateral interpretation of the LAC," he said.

 

On Monday, the Chinese foreign ministry, in a statement in Mandarin, said that Beijing abides by the LAC proposed by Beijing in 1959. “Firstly, China-India border LAC is very clear, that is the LAC on November 7, 1959. China announced it in the 1950s, and the international community including India is also clear about it,” the ministry said.