China cool on LAC clarification, wants border code of conduct
During his May 14-16 visit to China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for both sides to resume the stalled process of clarifying the LAC to prevent incidents and stand-offs along the more than 3,488 km-long disputed border.
China on Wednesday said it was in favour of a "code of conduct" along the border with India, and sought "comprehensive" measures to build trust along the boundary rather than merely a process focused on clarifying the Line of Actual Control (LAC) as suggested by India.
During his May 14-16 visit to China, Prime Minister Narendra Modi called for both sides to resume the stalled process of clarifying the LAC to prevent incidents and stand-offs along the more than 3,488 km-long disputed border.
China, for its part, has not been keen on the process, citing wide differences in perceptions as one reason behind the deadlock on LAC clarification following a failed exchange of maps in 2005.
"Our position is we should seek some kind of comprehensive measures, not only one measure to control management of the border and ensure peace and tranquility, say, a code of conduct," said the Chinese Foreign Ministry's Deputy Director General for Asian Affairs, Huang Xilian, who is Beijing's "point man" on India.
In an interaction with a group of visiting Indian media and scholars, Huang called for both sides "to try and reach agreement on a code of conduct" and "seek a comprehensive approach".
Huang also revealed why China was somewhat apprehensive about resuming the clarification process, saying that the earlier attempt involving exchange of maps had only "complicated", rather than helped resolve, differences.
"We tried to clarify some years ago but we encountered some difficulties which led to an even more complex situation," he said. "Whatever we do we should make it more conducive for promoting peace and tranquility for making things more easier, not making things even more complicated."
Huang said he would be in favour of any process if it was "a building block" to stronger ties, rather than "a stumbling block", which he suggested the LAC clarification exercise was.
It is, however, unclear why the process complicated the parallel boundary negotiations, as both India and China had agreed in a 1993 agreement that the LAC clarification process would take place without prejudice to both sides' territorial claims, which would be resolved, in all sectors, by boundary negotiations that took place on a parallel track.
Huang also defended China's new plan to build an economic corridor through Pakistan-occupied Kashmir (PoK) linking its western Xinjiang region to the Gwadar port on the Arabian Sea, saying these were purely commercial ventures that took no position on the Kashmir dispute. India has voiced its concerns about the plan.
"We know the concern of the Indian side," Huang said. "Those are all for livelihood of local people. There is a commercial interaction between China and that part of the region for many years. We do not side with any party on issue of territory. We have been advocating that the dispute should be solved through concerned parties through peaceful means. So the presence of commercial activities does not affect the position of China on claimant of territory".
Asked about China's opposition to India's exploration projects with Vietnam on the disputed South China Sea, Huang said India and China had "no difference" in their position on the dispute as "both countries advocate for free navigation in the South China Sea".
"But when it comes to exploration and participation of Indian companies in oil exploration," he added, "I don't know specifically which area [the activities are]. But let me give you an example. If a Chinese company goes to a disputed area there will be some reaction."
Huang drew a distinction between India's South China Sea projects and China's involvement in PoK. He suggested India's projects were new, while China's economic projects in PoK, which have dated back decades through the construction of the Karakoram Highway, "has been there for many years".
At the same time, China is, however, planning a slew of new projects under the recently inaugurated China Pakistan Economic Corridor through PoK, which India sees as an integral part of its territory.