The Congress Tuesday took a swipe at External Affairs Minister S.Jaishankar for his forward-looking remarks during his meeting with Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, reminding him that China had given “total support to Pakistan” during Operation Sindoor.

In the statement, shared by Congress general secretary (communications) Jairam Ramesh, the party also referred to Chinese restrictions on export of critical minerals such as rare-earth magnets, which has hit India’s automobile sector. Jaishankar raised the issue of “restrictive trade measures” in his meeting Monday.

“Perhaps, we should remind the EAM of recent developments in bilateral ties since the PM’s last tête-à-tête with President Xi: China gave total support to Pakistan during Operation Sindoor, turning it into a testing ground for network-centric warfare and weapon systems such as the J-10C fighter and PL-15E air-to-air missile and assorted drones,” said the Congress.

“Deputy Chief of Army Staff Lt.Gen.Rahul R Singh has stated that India fought three adversaries in Sindoor, including China that gave Pakistan ‘live inputs’ i.e. real time intelligence on Indian military operations. Pakistan is likely to acquire Chinese J-35 stealth fighters in the near future,” the party stated.

Addressing an event earlier this month, Lt.Gen.Singh, while sharing his assessment of Operation Sindoor, had said that “Pakistan was the front face” but India also had to contend with China “providing all possible support” to Islamabad. However, Chief of Defence Staff General Anil Chauhan had later downplayed Beijing’s role, saying the extent of state support was “difficult to define”.

In its statement, the Congress also highlighted the unresolved aspects of the troop buildup on the China border sparked by the clashes at Galwan Valley in June 2020.

“Indian patrols continue to require Chinese concurrence to reach their patrolling points in Depsang, Demchok, and Chumar. ‘Buffer zones’ in Galwan, Hot Spring, and Pangong Tso lie predominantly within the Indian claim line, preventing our troops from accessing points to which they had unrestricted access before April 2020,” said the main opposition party.

During his meeting with Yi Monday, Jaishankar also pressed for de-escalation at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between India and China.

“We have made good progress in the past nine months for the normalization of our bilateral relations. It is a result of the resolution of friction along the border and our ability to maintain peace and tranquility there. This is the fundamental basis for mutual strategic trust and for smooth development of bilateral relations. It is now incumbent on us to address other aspects related to the border, including de-escalation,” said Jaishankar.

The Congress reiterated its demand for a detailed debate on China in Parliament, saying it hopes that the Centre will hold the discussion during the upcoming monsoon session of the House.

“If the Parliament could debate the border situation in November 1962 when the Chinese invasion was at its peak, why cannot we discuss now – especially given that both sides appear to want renormalisation (albeit without necessarily restoring the May 2020 status quo on the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh)?” said the Congress.

(Edited by Tony Rai)

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