Still seeking answers to why Chinese troops recently intruded across the undemarcated Line of Actual Control in the Depsang Bulge area of Ladakh, India raised the matter during external affairs minister Salman Khurshid’s meeting with new Chinese Premier Li Keqiang in Beijing.
The matter was raised on Friday when Mr Khurshid met Premier Li as well as Yang Jiechi, state councillor and the new special representative (SR) for boundary talks. The matter is expected to figure in bilateral discussions when Premier Li visits India on May 20.
The SRs of the two countries are expected to meet in the next couple of months to hold the 16th round of talks on the contentious boundary issue.
Significantly, India has also given its own suggestions on the Border Defence Cooperation Agreement proposed by China some months ago. These were discussed during a meeting between officials from both sides in Beijing on Saturday.
During the minister’s visit, the trans-border rivers issue was also discussed with Beijing assuring New Delhi that it had no intention of adversely affecting India’s downstream interests. India wants either the mandate of the existing mechanism on trans-boundary rivers to be enhanced or a new mechanism put in place.