India rejects so-called unilaterally defined Chinese interpretation of LAC

The Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday said that India categorically rejects the “so-called unilaterally defined” Chinese interpretation of the Line of Actual Control of 1959 in Ladakh.

The Indian government also reminded China that its insistence there is only "one LAC" is contrary to the solemn commitments made by Beijing in previous bilateral agreements, and expected it will "sincerely" abide by them in their entirety.

It was in response to queries on the recent media report quoting a Chinese foreign ministry statement regarding China's position on the LAC, the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said it has "seen" the report - published in a national daily -- that quoted the Chinese foreign ministry on China's position on the LAC in the India-China border areas.

Srivastava pointed out that under several bilateral agreements – including the 1993 Agreement on Maintenance of Peace and Tranquillity along the LAC, the 1996 Agreement on Confidence Building Measures (CBMs) in the military field, the 2005 Protocol on Implementation of CBMs, and the 2005 Agreement on Political Parameters and Guiding Principles for Settlement of the India-China Boundary Question – India and China have “committed to clarification and confirmation of the LAC to reach a common understanding of the alignment of the LAC”.

Tensions have been running high between India and China over the past few months after a "violent face-off" in Galwan valley of Eastern Ladakh in June. Both the countries have been looking to find a solution to the ongoing border dispute.