China's desperate attempt at spin, uses India's 'pre-empt' remark to buck LAC setback

In a nefarious and desperate attempt to trumpet a false narrative by twisting words and their context, China on Wednesday said India's claim to "pre-empt" PLA military activity is a 'revelation' of Indian transgression across the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Eastern Ladakh.

"Indian side claims it 'pre-empted' Chinese military activity. India's statements reveal the fact that Indian troops were first to have illegally crossed the LAC, changed the status quo in border areas, and violated bilateral agreements and important consensus," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Hua Chunying said. 

She added, "We urge the Indian side to strictly discipline its border troops, stop all provocations, immediately withdraw all personnel who illegally trespassed across the LAC, and stop taking any actions that may escalate tensions or complicate matters."

The remarks highlight Beijing's frustration over repeated setbacks the PLA has faced in its attempt to push the LAC westward and occupy Indian positions in regions around Pangong Tso lake, Chushul, and earlier in the Galwan area even as it held up its facade of diplomatic and military level talks with their Indian counterparts. The Indian Army has thwarted all such attempts and has strengthened its position along the 3,488-km LAC, much to PLA's displeasure.

Another clear reason why China is so rattled is not just the befitting response the PLA has got on the Himalayan border from Indians, but also the diplomatic support New Delhi has got from the United States. US Secretary of State, Mike Pompeo, said the Chinese Communist Party is engaged in a "clear and intensifying pattern of bullying" its neighbours from the Taiwan Strait to the Himalayas and beyond. 

READ | 'Indian Troops Violated Consensus': China Claims Indian Troops 'illegally Trespassed' LAC

Chinese aggression at LAC

The Indian Army stated that the Chinese troops on August 29 and 30 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. Noting that the Indian Army is committed to maintaining peace and tranquility through dialogue, spokesperson Colonel Aman Anand emphasised that it is equally determined to protect its territorial integrity.

The Ministry of External Affairs on Tuesday revealed that China once again engaged in provocative action on August 31 even as the ground commanders of the two nations were trying to deescalate the situation. However, the Indian Army yet again foiled the attempt to unilaterally change the status quo.

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