No discussion on India-China border issue during Indo-Australian virtual summit: MEA

There was no discussion on India-China border issue during the Indo-Australian first virtual summit, said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday.

There was no discussion on India-China border issue during the Indo-Australian first virtual summit, said the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Thursday. "There was no discussion on China in the virtual summit between India and Australia," said Vijay Thakur Singh, Secretary, East, MEA, during a press conference when asked whether India-China border issue was discussed during the summit.

Tensions have escalated along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the last few weeks following a number of skirmishes between Indian and Chinese troops. Early this week, Australian High Commissioner to India Barry O'Farrell said that the standoff along the LAC between India and China should be resolved bilaterally.

A number of face-offs have been taking place between the troops of both sides as the Chinese have been trying to carry out deeper incursions. These are in addition to the face-offs which took place during the initial period as there was a major face-off at the Finger area in the third week of May and a number of such incidents have been taking place all along the disputed sites in the Ladakh area, sources said.

During their virtual summit, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and his Australian counterpart Scott Morrison decided on a Shared Vision for Maritime Cooperation in the Indo-Pacific region to harness opportunities and meet challenges together as Comprehensive Strategic Partners. The two countries affirmed their commitment to promoting peace, security, stability, and prosperity in the Indo-Pacific region, which is vital for the world.

During the virtual talks, they had touched upon various issues, including G20, Indo-Pacific and to undertake a comprehensive approach to tackle difficult problems globally particularly in the health area owing to the pandemic. (ANI)