China tones down rhetoric, India not impressed

As a result of massive diplomatic pressure from various quarters of the world community, China has, at least for now, toned down its rhetoric vis-à-vis its ties with India amid the Ladakh standoff.

 The Chinese foreign minister on Tuesday said that maintaining peace along the disputed boundary and deepening strategic trust with India is one of Beijing’s diplomatic priorities. It also said that Beijing would try to expand “shared interests” with neighbours in future.

Responding to a query about China’s diplomatic priorities as the Covid-19 pandemic impacts the world and international diplomacy, foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian was briefly explaining Beijing’s plans for way ahead in bilateral ties with the US, Russia, EU, Japan, and India.

India is seeing this tonedown as a little positive change in Chinese stand. But Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) wants China to demonstrate it by its deeds not only by words. “International pressure is of course there under which China may be making such statements, but India is expecting it to show on the ground what it is saying,” reacted an official here in New Delhi.

Officials believe that China may be seen as softening its stand for now but it could be just for the sake of sending out a message to the world community which is exerting tremendous pressure on it for a long time now. In fact, China’s all diplomatic and trade ties with countries like the US, Australia, UK, Japan, South Korea, France and Germany have been badly hit because of its misadventure along the LAC with India as well as in South China Sea.

It is for this reason that Beijing is trying to be seen as a country wanting to mend its ways. But South Block is not quite impressed. The officials want China to show all what it has said in action. Sources said other countries also concur with India on this. They also want China to do something concrete on ground so that the ties could be normalised. First, it should disengage along LAC in Ladakh to the satisfaction of Indian side, says an official.

India and China have held several rounds of diplomatic and military talks to de-escalate, but the process is yet to be completed. On 30 July, India had rejected China’s contention that disengagement has been completed at most locations along their disputed border. India has called on Beijing to work sincerely for complete de-escalation and full restoration of peace along the LAC.