Published 10:30 IST, September 1st 2020
Expansionist China claims 'won't complicate & expand situation' as Indian Army foils move
After violating the consensus & attempting to alter the status quo at the LAC in Eastern Ladakh near Pangong Tso, China tried a face-saver at the world stage
- World News
- 3 min read
After violating the consensus and attempting to alter the status quo at the LAC in Eastern Ladakh, China has tried a face-saver at the world stage, highlighting its commitment to 'maintaining stability at the Sino-Indian border'. Speaking at the French Institute of International Relations, Chinese foreign minister Wang Yi said that China will not take initiative to 'complicate and expand the situation' along the border with India, but added that it needs to 'firmly safeguard its sovereignty & territorial integrity'.
Chinese foreign minister Wang said that the border with India is 'not demarcated' and therefore problems arise from time-to-time, adding that China is 'willing to manage problems with dialogue' and preached that India must not allow 'differences to become conflicts'. This comes even as the Chinese PLA violated the consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic talks over the LAC standoff and unilaterally attempted to change the status quo at the LAC.
Earlier on Monday, China denied carrying out provocative military movement at the LAC in Eastern Ladakh on the intervening night of August 29 and 30. Claiming that his country's border troops have never crossed the border, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian emphasised on the People's Liberation Army's strict adherence to the LAC. He added that the armies of both countries have been in touch over territorial issues.
As per Chinese mouthpiece Global Times, Zhao Lijian said, "Chinese border troops have always strictly observed the Line of Actual Control and have never crossed the line. The border troops of the two countries have been in communication over territory issues."
Fresh violation at LAC by China
Earlier in the day, the Indian Army revealed that the Chinese troops had violated the consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic talks over the LAC standoff. The Indian troops not only pre-empted the activity of the PLA on the southern bank of the Pangong Tso lake but also thwarted attempts to unilaterally change the facts on the ground. Reiterating that the Indian Army is committed to maintaining peace and tranquility through dialogue, spokesperson Colonel Aman Anand stressed that it is equally determined to protect its territorial integrity.
A Brigade Commander-level flag meeting took place at Chushul to resolve the issues on Monday. As per sources, both sides will hold Brigade Commander level talks at the same location again on Tuesday 9:30 AM: Indian Army Sources
Updated 10:30 IST, September 1st 2020