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Today's Vocabulary
1. bilateral (adj)
involving two groups or countries
2. standoff (n)
a situation in which agreement in an argument does not seem possible
3. disputed (adj)
used to describe something that is the subject of disagreement , especially official or legal disagreement
4. airstrip (n)
a long, flat piece of land from which trees, rocks, etc. have been removed so that aircraft can take off and land
5. amicable (adj)
relating to behaviour between people that is pleasant and friendly, often despite a difficult situation
6. stance (n)
a way of thinking about something, especially expressed in a publicly stated opinion
7. allies (n)
a country that has agreed officially to give help and support to another one, especially during a war
India and China agree to ‘peacefully resolve’ border tensions
India and China have agreed to peacefully settle their border tensions in the Himalayas through diplomatic and military channels.
“Both sides agreed to peacefully resolve the situation in the border areas in accordance with various bilateral agreements and keeping in view the agreement between the leaders that peace and tranquility in the India-China border regions is essential for the overall development of bilateral relations,” India’s foreign ministry said in a statement on Sunday after bilateral talks between the two countries.
Thousands of soldiers from both sides have been locked in a standoff in the remote region of Ladakh since last month. India is building a strategic road through the Galwan Valley in Ladakh and connecting the region to an airstrip, the Associated Press reported — a move China opposes.
Military commanders from both sides met on Saturday in Chushul, a village in the Leh district of Ladakh, near the disputed border. While India said the meeting took place in a “cordial and positive atmosphere,” China did not immediately respond. Beijing has on multiple occasions described the border situation as “stable and controllable.”
An amicable resolution to the dispute is likely as neither side wants to see an escalation in the tensions, according to Eurasia Group’s South Asia analyst, Akhil Bery.
Analysts have said that India does not have the economic and military strength to follow the U.S. and adopt an anti-China stance. Particularly on the military front, New Delhi has some catching up to do because it did not invest as much into the sector as China did over the years, according to Bery.
However, India has other diplomatic options to keep the pressure on China by reaching out to allies like the United States, Australia and Japan.
“While India may not have the military capabilities to match China at the moment, it is certainly working on its diplomatic efforts to help contain China that way,” he added.
China and India, the world’s two most populous countries, established diplomatic relations 70 years ago.
Discussion
- In which area did the officials meet?
- How long ago did China and India establish diplomatic relations?
- What kind of resolution would further relations between China and India?
“The boundary to what we can accept is the boundary to our freedom.”
