India opposes China’s unilateral attempt to alter border situation through new law

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New Delhi: India registered a strong protest against the passage of the new ‘Land Boundary Law’ by China that seeks to unilaterally alter the situation along the border.

The Ministry of External Affairs noted that the new law has “provisions to carry out reorganisation of districts in the border areas” which is unacceptable to India.

“We have noted that China has passed a new ‘Land Boundary Law’ on 23rd October 2021. The law states among other things that China abides by treaties concluded with or jointly acceded to by foreign countries on land boundary affairs. It also has provisions to carry out reorganisation of districts in the border areas,” said MEA in a statement.

“In this regard, China’s unilateral decision to bring about a legislation which can have implication on our existing bilateral arrangements on border management as well as on the boundary question is of concern to us. Such unilateral move will have no bearing on the arrangements that both sides have already reached earlier, whether it is on the Boundary Question or for maintaining peace and tranquillity along the LAC in India-China Border areas,” it added.

The MEA said that China should “avoid undertaking action under the pretext of this law which could unilaterally alter the situation in the India-China border areas”.

India reiterated its position on the China Pakistan "Boundary Agreement” of 1963 by terming it “an illegal and invalid agreement”.

“The passage of this new law does not in our view confer any legitimacy to the so-called China Pakistan ‘Boundary Agreement’ of 1963 which Government of India has consistently maintained is an illegal and invalid agreement,” MEA said.

The MEA underlined that India and China have still not resolved the boundary question and that “ both sides have agreed to seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable resolution to the boundary question through consultations on an equal footing”.