Although it is easy to see this statement as a breakthrough, the issue is that other similar claims have been made recently during the protracted impasse in eastern Ladakh. It also appears that the two leaders, who met in Kazakhstan for the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting, believe that stabilising and mending bilateral ties is essential.
Once more, the buzzwords are peace and calm, but there is little desire to move past the clichés and really accomplish real development.The border communities’ competitive development serves as an example of the trust deficit. In an attempt to match China’s efforts, India has reportedly chosen to establish communities or habitations in Arunachal Pradesh “closer to the LAC.”
Source: X.com
Along the LAC, the Chinese have built more than 600 “prosperous villages” (Xiaokang) to support their territorial claims and improve their military readiness. The Vibrant Villages Programme, introduced in India last year, is the country’s response. About 3,000 villages in Arunachal, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Ladakh, and Sikkim are to be covered by the large-scale initiative.
The goal of enhancing housing, tourist amenities, telecom and road connectivity is secondary to encouraging an increasing number of locals to act as the military’ eyes and ears in border areas.In the midst of this massive push for infrastructure and army build-up, the diplomatic and military rounds of talks have frequently ended in deadlock.
Source: CNBC-TV 18
President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi have yet to have a summit-level conversation. Being the two biggest powers in Asia, it is important for both to have a conversation and work through the difficult problems, such as China’s reluctance to share LAC maps.
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