Doing some tough-talking with visiting Chinese Premier Li Kequiang on Sunday, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh raised the issue of the recent incursion by PLA troops in the Depsang Plains area of Ladakh.
Sunday’s discussions also appear to have set the stage for the longer format of discussions which is the delegation-level talks on Monday. The incursion as well as the boundary question is expected to dominate the discussions between the two sides led by Mr Singh and Mr Kequiang on Monday too.
With the boundary issue a priority item on New Delhi’s agenda, it is expected that the PM will convey New Delhi’s desire that its resolution be accorded high priority by both sides.
While some agreements are also expected to be signed upon the conclusion of the talks, it is really the joint statement to be issued upon the conclusion of the delegation-level talks that is expected to be the key and contain the “big-ticket elements” of the discussions. The recent border incursion hampered the processing of agreements that New Delhi and Beijing have been working on. Among the pacts expected on Monday are on micro-irrigation, waste water management and translation of classic and contemporary works. The foreign ministers will be exchanging MoUs on sister cities and sister provinces.
On the issue of water flows from trans-border rivers, New Delhi is concerned about some dams that the Chinese propose to build on the Brahmaputra. While China has assured India that its downstream interests would not be harmed, what the government here is seeking is an enhanced mandate for the existing arrangement for sharing hydrological data.