Ladakh border row: Any hesitation along LAC will hit bid to keep check on China, US tells India
India's confrontation with China is being watched closely across the world and any hesitation on part of India will demoralise and hurt efforts to check Beijing's expansionist agenda, the US told the Indian side during the 2+2 discussions here on Tuesday.
FollowNew Delhi: As India continues to maintain an aggressive military and diplomatic stance against China in dealing with the issue of months-long border standoff in eastern Ladakh, the US delegation comprising of Secretary of state Mike Pompeo and Defence Secretary Mark T Esper, reportedly told the Indian side that the entire world is looking towards New Delhi and any hesitation on its part to deal with the tense situation along the Line of Control (LoC) will demoralise and hurt efforts to check Beijing’s expansionist agenda.
US secretary of state Mike Pompeo is understood to have made the point during the talks with foreign minister S Jaishankar and defence minister Rajnath Singh.
The US side is understood to have expressed strong solidarity with India over the challenge posed by the People's Liberation Army along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh. The faceoff, which began in early May, is set to stretch into the winter and has accelerated a convergence between the US and India on strategic issues.
In a stern message to China, the high-level US delegation said that America stands with India it as it confronts threats to their sovereignty and liberty.
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Pompeo also paid tributed to the Indian Army soldiers martyred during the violent clash with the PLA forces in the Galwan Valley in the month of June.
Pompeo's sharp remarks on China during his visits to India, Sri Lanka and Maldives brought about an angry Chinese response accusing the US of meddling in bilateral matters. The Chinese foreign office said there has been good progress in discussions with India on the border tensions and there was no space for a third party.
However, the situation on the LAC is frozen with the next round of military commander level talks likely to be held as India has written to the Chinese side suggesting a date be set. The Chinese side has called for vacation of the Pangong Tso area while India has insisted that de-escalation must take place all along the LAC.
