The latest round of border talks between India and China did not lead to any solution, according to the official readout after the meeting. More than three years and three months have passed since the border standoff started in eastern Ladakh. This has led to an unprecedented buildup of troops on both sides. Over the last three years, the Indian Air Force is estimated to have airlifted nearly 70,000 troops and heavy platforms including tanks, artillery guns weighing over 9,000 tonnes as part of efforts towards enhancing the overall operational preparedness in eastern Ladakh. The government has been making the case for the last couple of weeks that it has built infrastructure in the border areas over the last nine years, which has led to faster deployment of forces since the standoff. Indian and Chinese foreign ministers and national security advisors had met last month, before the Corps Commander level talks, raising hopes that there could be a breakthrough — before Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping meet in Johannesburg for the BRICS leaders summit on August 22-23.
The fact that the border standoff started months after the 18th meeting between Xi and Modi at the Mamallapuram informal summit indicated that the buildup was at the directions of the political leadership in Beijing, not a local military operation. It became even clearer that it had the sanction of the Chinese Communist Party since the standoff has sustained over the last three years. Delhi must not budge and demand complete withdrawal of troops and de-escalation, before it normalises ties. Xi’s visit next month gives India some leverage; the government must use it.
