The US House of Representatives and the Senate on Tuesday (14 December) passed the $740 billion Defence Policy Bill and National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) along with calling on China to end its aggression against India at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh.
However, the key components in the bill were introduced by the Indian-American Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi’s calling for the Chinese government to end its military aggression against India along the LAC which was passed in each chamber with overwhelming bipartisan support.
“Violent aggression is seldom the answer, and this is especially true for the Line of Actual Control, which is the disputed border region that separates the People’s Republic of China from India,” Krishnamoorthi was quoted as saying.
“By including my resolution language in the NDAA and signing that legislation into law, the United States government will send a clear message that China’s military provocations of India will not be tolerated,” he said.
“The United States is committed to standing with our allies and partners like India in resolving the border standoff using diplomatic means,’ Krishnamoorthi added.
India and China have been eyeball to eyeball stand-off at the LAC in eastern Ladakh for over five months after the PLA in a cowardly manner attacked Indian soldiers on 15 June, in which 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number of Chinese PLA troops were killed.
Since then despite multiple rounds of talks at the military as well as diplomatic levels China has kept at it.
However, the bill will become a law only after President Donald Trump signs it and he might veto the bill if it lacks a repeal of legal protections for social media companies.