China: New land border law will not affect existing border treaties

Beijing: China said on Thursday that its new land border law will not affect the implementation of existing border treaties and urged relevant countries to avoid making "undue speculation" about a "normal legislation".

China's national legislature - the National People's Congress (NPC) - on October 23 adopted the new law on the protection and exploitation of the land border areas which drew sharp reaction from India as it was passed amid the protracted military standoff between the two sides in eastern Ladakh region.

On Wednesday, India hit out at Beijing for bringing out the new land border law and said it expects China to avoid taking any action under the "pretext" of the legislation that could "unilaterally" alter the situation in the border

areas.

External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Arindam Bagchi described China's decision to bring out the law as a matter of "concern" as it can have implications on the existing bilateral pacts on the management of the border and the overall boundary question.

"China's unilateral decision to bring about a legislation which can have implication on our existing bilateral arrangements on border management as well as on the boundary question is of concern to us," he said.

"Such 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 LAC in India-China border areas," he said.