China Passes New Land Border Law : Describing the country’s sovereignty and territorial integrity as “sacred and intact”, China’s parliament has adopted a new law related to the protection and use of border areas, which could have an impact on Beijing’s border dispute with India. Members of the Standing Committee of the National People’s Congress (NPC) approved the legislation during the closing meeting of parliament on Saturday, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.
This law will come into effect from January 1 next year. According to it, “the sovereignty and territorial integrity of the People’s Republic of China is sacred and intact.” According to Xinhua, the law also stipulates to strengthen border security, facilitate economic and social development, open border areas, improve public services and infrastructure in such areas, promote it and improve the lives of the people there. And the country can take steps to help in the work.
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It can take measures to promote coordination in defense, social and economic development along the borders. The country will deal with land border issues with neighbouring countries adhering to the principles of equality, mutual trust and friendly dialogue, and will take recourse to dialogue for proper resolution of long-pending border issues and disputes. Beijing has settled border disputes with 12 of its neighbours but has not finalized border agreements with India and Bhutan.
The border dispute between India and China is in an area of 3,488 km along the Line of Actual Control while China’s dispute with Bhutan is on the border of 400 km. Foreign Secretary Harsh Vardhan Shringla had said last week that developments along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh have seriously affected the peace and tranquility in the border areas. Obviously, this has had an impact on wider relationships as well.
