"Trust but verify...," says former envoy KP Fabian on patrolling agreement between India-China along LAC

New Delhi: KP Fabian, former Indian Ambassador to Canada, struck a cautious note regarding the recent agreement between India and China on border patrolling along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), advising that while trust is essential, verification is equally important.
While speaking with ANI, he said, "It's a very important statement that says that India and China have come to an agreement about normal patrolling and that there will be disengagement. The Foreign Secretary says that we are now looking at the resolution of the problem which arose in 2020."
He added, "Some years ago, before a meeting, PM Narendra Modi was going to China for another international meeting. It (the issues) were resolved. But, let us recall that the Chinese did not carry out (the solution). The agreement was in two stages. In the first stage, India will withdraw first, then China will withdraw. That was done. In the second stage, China had to withdraw first, and then India, which they didn't do. Then, they constructed a lot of things. So, this step is welcome. Let me put it this way, trust but verify."
The former diplomat further said that being neighbours, it is necessary for India and China to have "good neighbourly relations" if possible.
He said, "China is coming under a lot of pressure from the West. Americans are saying that China has been supporting Russia (with regard to the Russia-Ukraine conflict). Chinese electric vehicles are coming under high tariffs and so China is coming under pressure... And I believe that China and India, both being big countries but neighbours, it is necessary to have, if possible, good neighbourly relations."
On Monday, Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri, said India and China have reached an agreement on the patrolling arrangements along LAC.
The agreement was reached ahead of the BRICS Summit which will be attended by PM Narendra Modi and Chinese President Xi Jinping.
"On several areas along the Line of Actual Control, we held discussions with Chinese interlocutors, both on diplomatic as well as the military levels through meeting with military commanders at various levels. These discussions had in the past resulted in the resolution of standoffs at various locations. There are some locations and areas where stand-offs had not been resolved," said Misri.
"Now, as a result of the discussions taking place over the last several weeks, an agreement has been arrived at on patrolling arrangements along the LAC in the India-China border areas. This is leading to disengagement and eventually a resolution of the issues that had arisen in these areas in 2020," he added.