India says China's new boundary law is a concern

Responding to media queries on China's Land Boundary law, official spokesperson of the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) Arindam Bagchi said, "We have noted that China has passed a new 'Land Boundary Law' on October 23, 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 reorganization of districts in the border areas."

He further said that it may be noted that India and China have still not resolved the boundary question. Both sides have agreed to seek a fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable resolution to the 'Boundary Question' through consultations on an equal footing. "We have also concluded several bilateral agreements, protocols and arrangements to maintain peace and tranquillity along the LAC in India-China border areas in the interim," Bagchi said.

In this regard, China's unilateral decision to bring about legislation that can have implications on our existing bilateral arrangements on border management as well as on the boundary question is of concern to us. Such a 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 Line of Actual Control (LAC) in India-China Border areas.

"We also expect that China will avoid undertaking action under the pretext of this law which could unilaterally alter the situation in the India-China border areas," the MEA spokesperson said.

"Furthermore, 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 the Government of India has consistently maintained is an illegal and invalid agreement," he added.