This understanding has been reflected in the Common Understanding of December 2012 in point No. 12, which states that “there is mutual agreement on the basis of the alignment of the India China boundary in the Sikkim sector as provided by the convention between China and Great Britain relating to Tibet and Sikkim signed in 1890”. 1890 Convention, verify and determine the specific alignment of the Sikkim sector and produce a common record”.Both sides may negotiate a final agreement on the boundary alignment in the Sikkim sector to replace the historical treaty. Subsequently, in the SR meeting the Chinese side has made the proposal for finalising the boundary in Sikkim sector, terming it as an early harvest of the SR process, which clearly confirms that the boundary in the Sikkim sector is not yet finalised. “Otherwise, they would not have used this term ‘early harvest’ as we say ‘low hanging fruit’,” Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj pointed out in the Rajya Sabha on Thursday.

Source: Economic Times August 04, 2017 18:22 UTC