India’s defense minister has accused China of eroding the “entire basis” of bilateral ties by violating bilateral agreements, referring to a nearly three-year standoff involving thousands of soldiers stationed along their disputed frontier in the eastern Ladakh region.
The Indian Defense Ministry announced on Thursday that Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh met with visiting Chinese Defense Minister Li Shangfu and “had frank discussions about the developments in the India-China border areas as well as bilateral relations.”
Singh told Li that “development of relations between India and China is contingent on the prevalence of peace and tranquility at the borders” and that all border issues must be resolved in accordance with existing agreements and commitments, according to a statement released by the Indian foreign ministry.
The Chinese side did not immediately comment on the meetings.
According to India, the deployment of a large number of Chinese personnel, their aggressive behavior, and their attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo along the border violate international agreements. Singh stated that the violations have “eroded the entire foundation of bilateral relations.”
Three years ago, a conflict in the Ladakh region claimed the lives of twenty Indian soldiers and four Chinese. In the rugged mountainous region, each party has stationed tens of thousands of military personnel supported by artillery, tanks, and fighter aircraft.
Top Indian and Chinese army commanders met for the eighteenth time in an attempt to negotiate a withdrawal of forces from tense areas days before Li’s visit.
India and China have withdrawn troops from certain areas on the northern and southern banks of Pangong Tso, Gogra, and Galwan Valley, but continue to maintain additional personnel as part of a multi-tiered deployment.
A Line of Actual Control divides Chinese and Indian-held territory from Ladakh in the west to Arunachal Pradesh in the east, which China claims in its totality. In 1962, India and China waged a war over their border.
Friday, Defense Minister Li will attend a meeting of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization’s defense ministers in New Delhi. China, India, Pakistan, Russia, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan make up the coalition.