Ladakh stand-off: Trump butts in

U.S. President Donald Trump has once again offered to play the role of a global statesman and peacemaker, this time declaring himself “ready, willing and able” to “mediate or arbitrate” the “raging border dispute” between India and China, amid the continuing standoff between the militaries of the two neighbours at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

In the past, too, Trump has, on several occasions, offered to mediate between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue. New Delhi had rejected it every time. Trump’s first offer to mediate last year was, in fact, swiftly followed by the removal of the special status enjoyed by Jammu and Kashmir under Article 370, seen widely as a move by India to fortify its position before any such intervention could take place.

Yet, here we are again. “We have informed both India and China that the United States is ready, willing and able to mediate or arbitrate their now raging border dispute. Thank you!” Trump said in an early morning tweet.

Meanwhile, the Chinese government today said that the situation at the border with India is “overall stable and controllable,” and both the countries have proper mechanisms and communication channels to resolve the issues through a dialogue and consultation.

“We have been following the important consensus reached by the two leaders and strictly observing the agreements between the two countries,” a Foreign Ministry spokesperson said, apparently referring to the directions of Chinese President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi after their two informal summits, when they asked the militaries of the two countries to take more confidence-building measures to maintain peace along the border.

Courtesy: Hindu: EW: 27th May 2020