US welcomes Indo-China disengagement; Senator heartened by India defending sovereignty

On Friday, US administration has welcomed the ongoing efforts of India and China to de-escalate the situation at LAC in eastern Ladakh and said it would continue to monitor the situation closely as both sides work toward a peaceful resolution.

“We’re closely following reports of initial troop disengagement. We welcome the ongoing efforts to de-escalate the situation. We will, of course, continue to monitor the situation closely as both sides work toward a peaceful resolution.” a State Department spokesperson told PTI.

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On Thursday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh announced in Parliament that India and China have reached an agreement on disengagement in the North and South banks of Pangong lake that mandates both sides to cease forward deployment of troops in a 'phased, coordinated and verifiable' manner.

While speaking in the Parliament, Singh said, "I want to assure this House that we have not lost anything in this conversation. Also, I would like to inform the House that there are still some outstanding issues regarding deployment and patrolling on LAC which will be kept in further talks".

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Congressman Michael McCaul, lead Republican in the House Foreign Affairs Committee, also welcomed the disengagement of troops and encouraged India to stand strong. He further added that CCP’s (Chinese Communist Party) constant territorial aggression has no place in the 21st century.

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US Expresses Concern Over India-China LAC Stand-off

On February 10, the United States supported a peaceful resolution to the India-China border standoff and expressed its concern over Beijing's attempts to intimidate neighbours. This comes after India and China held bilateral consultations on issues on the agenda of the United Nations Security Council amid the military standoff on the Line of Actual Control (LAC). It also said that India is one of the most important partners in the Indo-Pacific region and welcomed its emergence as a leading global power. While speaking at a press conference US State Department spokesperson, Ned Price said that as always we'll stand with our friends.

READ | US Expresses Concern Over India-China Border Stand-off, Supports Peaceful Resolution

What is the LAC faceoff? 

The faceoff at the Line of Actual Control was exacerbated when 21 Indian Army soldiers including a Commanding Officer were martyred in the Galwan Valley on June 15, 2020, when the de-escalation process was underway. This was followed by multiple attempts of provocation by the Chinese side at the end of August. Multiple rounds of military commander-level and WMCC meetings have taken place between the two sides to resolve the crisis. Besides this, EAM S Jaishankar and Defence Minister Rajnath Singh have met their respective counterparts. 

(With PTI Inputs)