Huma Siddiqui
New Delhi, May 24
China not attending the third G20 tourism working group meeting in Srinagar does not make any difference, says India.
Union Minister Jitendra Singh on Monday said that it is China’s loss not attending the meeting and not India. “… China not coming is China’s loss, not India’s.”
China has kept away from the three day meeting after it opposed hosting of any G20 meeting on “disputed territory’’, adding that such “unilateral actions’’ will further complicate the situation.
There were 122 delegates, including 60 foreigners, present at the G20 tourism working group meeting in Srinagar. According to officials, several private travel agents and tour operators were present representing countries like Turkiye, Saudi Arabia and Egypt and only China was missing.
Why did China abstain?
The absence comes amidst the ongoing three year long standoff between the Chinese and Indian troops following the Galwan Valley clash in May 2020 along eastern Ladakh. Despite several rounds of talks at different levels – diplomatic, political and military level, China refuses to move away from two friction points and continues its belligerent activities and developing infrastructure on its side of Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
Financial Express Online has reported earlier that the meeting took place with a heavy three level security cover which included Indian Navy’s marine commandos, surveillance drones and Kashmir police’s special operation group. This is the first international event hosted since the abrogation of Article 370 in 2019 and showcased urban planning, local handicrafts, folk art forms, and destination for filmmakers.
Meanwhile …
According to reports, a section of media has quoted an official from the intelligence wing of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) stating China has laid down preconditions for disengagement from the strategically critical area of Depsang plains in Ladakh. China wants a 15-20km buffer zone inside India-claimed lines as a precondition for disengagement.
The Chinese PLA continues its bullying tactics and is working aggressively to change the status quo along the LAC. A report in a Kolkata based publication quoting an official from ITBP said that the Chinese Army is already entrenched 18km inside India claimed lines. And now the Chinese side wants a buffer-zone of another 15-20 km before it talks about disengagement from Depsang. This demand according to the media report in the public domain was made during the 18th round of Corps Commander talks which took place in April and has been raised during subsequent meetings at other military talks. However, this demand by the Chinese was rejected by the Indian side.