US Senate recognises Arunachal as integral part of India, condemns China's aggression at LAC

Washington: United States (US) Senators introduced a resolution on Thursday in the United States (US) Senate that reaffirms that the state of Arunachal Pradesh as an “integral part of India”, supports India’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity”.

The resolution also condemns China for the “use of military force” to change the status quo at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and its other provocations, and lauds the government of India for the steps it has taken to “defend itself” against the “aggression and security threats” from China.

The resolution introduced by Jeff Markley and Bill Haggerty and co-sponsored by John Cornyn also supports India’s defence modernisation and diversification commends India’s development efforts in Arunachal Pradesh, commits to deepening US assistance in the region, and expresses support for the US-India bilateral partnership.

In a rare bipartisan sign of unequivocal support to India, the resolution, introduced to support India’s “sovereignty and territorial integrity”, criticized China for the “use of military force” to change the status quo at the Line of Actual Control (LAC). Condemns and other provocations, ANI reported.

The resolution comes after Indian and Chinese troops engaged in a skirmish in Arunachal Pradesh along the LAC in December last year.

The statement by Senator Merkley said the resolution reaffirmed that the US recognised the McMahon Line as the international boundary between China and Arunachal Pradesh, and pushes back against Beijing’s claims that Arunachal is PRC territory.

The resolution says that China claims Arunachal Pradesh as its own territory, which it calls ‘‘South Tibet’’, and has invoked these claims as part of its increasingly aggressive and expansionist policies.

“America’s values supporting freedom and a rules-based order must be at the centre of all of our actions and relationships around the world — especially as the PRC (People’s Republic of China) government pushes an alternative vision,” said Merkley, who serves as the Co-Chair of the Congressional-Executive Commission on China.

“This resolution makes clear that the US views the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh as part of the Republic of India — not the People’s Republic of China — and commits the US to deepen support and assistance to the region, alongside like-minded international partners and donors,” Merkley said.

“This bipartisan resolution expresses the Senate’s support for unequivocally recognising the state of Arunachal Pradesh as an integral part of India, condemning China’s military aggression to change the status quo along the Line of Actual Control, and further enhancing the US-India strategic partnership and the Quad in support of the Free and Open Indo-Pacific,” Hagerty said.

The resolution also commends India for taking steps to defend itself against aggression and security threats from China. These efforts include securing India’s telecommunications infrastructure; examining its procurement processes and supply chains; implementing investment screening standards; and expanding its cooperation with Taiwan in public health and other sectors.

Besides other things, the resolution serves to further strengthen the US-India bilateral partnership regarding defence, technology, economics, and people-to-people ties and promotes enhancing America’s multilateral cooperation with India through the Quad, the East Asia Summit alongside its partners in the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), and other international fora.

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