Amid border standoff, India, China hold consultations on UNSC agenda

New Delhi, Feb 10: Amid the India-China border tensions along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), both sides held bilateral consultations on issues on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).

 

The Indian delegation briefed the Chinese side “on India’s priorities during its UNSC tenure,” the external affairs ministry said in a brief statement. “Both sides discussed a wide range of issues on the UNSC agenda,” the statement said. The two sides also “agreed to continue their engagement on key issues” on the Security Council’s agenda, the statement added.

 

 

 

India began a two-year stint as a non-permanent member of the Security Council earlier this month. Last year, the Indian side listed an effective response to global terrorism, reforming the multilateral system, a comprehensive approach to international peace and security, and promoting technology with a human touch among its priorities for its stint in the Security Council.

 

 

Prakash Gupta, joint secretary (UNP and summits) in the external affairs ministry, led the Indian delegation that included officials from East Asia and UN economic and social divisions, the permanent mission of India in New York, and the embassy in Beijing. Besides, the Chinese delegation was led by Yang Tao, director-general of the department of international organizations in China’s foreign ministry.

 

 

The two countries have been engaged in a stand-off along the LAC since April-May last year. While China began amassing massive military strength along the LAC, India responded with a befitting build-up. Since this standoff, both sides are involved through meetings of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) on border affairs and senior military commanders to take forward disengagement and de-escalation talks along the LAC.

 

 

It should be noted that the Chinese have been asking India to withdraw troops and tanks first from the southern bank but India has been asking for disengagement from all the friction points