NEW DELHI: On the eve of yet another meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on border affairs (WMCC), the government on Thursday said India was “fully committed to observing and respecting” the Line of Actual Control and that it would “not accept any unilateral attempts to change the status quo” along the LAC.

“It is our expectation that the Chinese side will sincerely work with us for complete disengagement and de-escalation and full restoration of peace and tranquillity in the border areas at the earliest, as agreed to by the special representatives,” the MEA said.

The government warning came as ground reports showed that disengagement had stalled in the Pangong Tso and Gogra-Hot Springs areas. “Respecting and strictly abiding by the LAC is the basis of peace and tranquillity in the border areas,” the MEA added.

It effectively said that China’s actions had torn up all the agreements since 1993. “The conduct of Chinese forces this year, including the deployment of a large body of troops and changes in behaviour, accompanied by unjustified and untenable claims, has been in complete disregard of all mutual agreements,” it said.

There is growing concern within the government that no amount of diplomatic warnings appear to cut ice with China, which has doubled down and dug in across the LAC in eastern Ladakh.

Reminding the Chinese side of the red line that a peaceful border was the pre-requisite for the bilateral relationship, MEA spokesman

Anurag Srivastava said, “The two sides have agreed during the conversation of the special representatives to work towards complete disengagement of troops along the LAC and de-escalation from India-China border areas for full restoration of peace and tranquillity."