Amid India-China stand-off, top US diplomat says 'good time for New Delhi to up its investment in Quad'

Amid heightened tensions between India and China, top US diplomat Alice G Wells said it is “good time for New Delhi to up its investment in Quad”.

“The appearance of privileging BRIC/RIC meetings over engagement with like-minded partners is discordant,” she further added.

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Wells has backed India over the current border row with China and last month she said that the US will always stand with India in pushing back against constant Chinese probing of Indian sovereignty.

Quad, an alliance of the US, Japan, India and Australia, has been a serious cause of concern for China.

In March 2020, QUAD nations met to discuss the COVID-19 pandemic and were joined by New Zealand, South Korea and Vietnam for the first time.

'The US will always stand with India'

India and China have decided to hold talks every week in the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC) meeting to discuss the ongoing aggression by the People's Liberation Army (PLA) in the Eastern Ladakh sector and find ways for further de-escalation of tensions between the nuclear-armed neighbours.

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The Indian side in the talks includes representatives of multiple ministries including the Ministry of External Affairs, Ministry of Defence, Ministry of Home Affairs and security forces in it, ANI quoted government sources as saying.

China has repeatedly blamed India for the violent Galwan Valley clash while the latter has outrightly rejected Chinese allegations of India being an expansionist country by citing the example of the issues by raising the boundary issue between India and Nepal.

Earlier today, Prime Minister Narendra Modi in his Mann ki Baat address to the nation said that India has given befitting reply in Ladakh to those who eyed its territory adding that the world has seen India’s commitment in safeguarding its borders.

Increased activity along LAC

Activities along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) have increased significantly over the past few days. India on Saturday deployed Akash surface-to-air missile defense systems on its borders with China in Ladakh.

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The deployment comes after the IAF observed increased Chinese air activity along the LAC.

India is also keeping a close tab on Pakistani airbases in PoK after China’s PLAAF refuelling plane landed at Skardu airbase.

(Source : timesnownews.com)

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