Experts urge diplomatic talks to defuse India-China tensions

NEW DELHI

The border clashes between Indian and Chinese armies that led the killing of 20 Indian soldiers in the Ladakh region has shocked the country’s diplomatic and military community.

Since 1975, this is the first time, when causalities were reported in a border clash between the two countries.

However, both military and diplomatic experts have urged the government to raise the level of dialogue from military to diplomatic or even to political level to end the standoff and deescalate tensions.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, former diplomat G.S. Iyer, who had also a long stint in Beijing from 1968-74 said the latest incident has made it imperative to raise the level of talks to the diplomatic level.

“The talks, from here on, will be between diplomatic channels and not via military-level as it may lead to more harm,” he added.

He said the disengagement was never China’s plan. If the Chinese wanted to disengage, they would not have been present there in such large numbers.

“Amid such talks, no soldiers are supposed to carry lethal weapons. Where did the iron rods/bats come from then? This looked like a street brawl, where hundreds of Chinese soldiers were still present despite the de-escalation talks under-way,” said Iyer, India’s former envoy to Morocco and Mexico.

Lt. Gen. Deependra Singh Hooda, who has commanded troops in the region witnessing the latest military standoff, said the situation was very tense and unprecedented.

“No person had died at these borders in the last 45 years. This will now involve greater diplomatic engagement, even at the political level, since the issue is multifold serious,” he said.