Posted: September 3, 2020 6:29:42 pm
An Indian army soldier stands guard on top of his vehicle as his convoy moves on the Srinagar-Ladakh highway in Gagangeer, northeast of Srinagar, Indian-controlled Kashmir, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020 (AP Photo).
India said on Thursday that the situation observed in the border areas in eastern Ladakh over the past four months is a “direct result” of actions taken by China to achieve a unilateral change in the status quo of the region.
Foreign Ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said that India is committed to solving all problems through dialogue, noting that the way forward to tackle the problem is negotiations.
“It is clear that the situation we have witnessed (in eastern Ladakh) during the last four months is a direct result of the actions of the Chinese side aimed at achieving a unilateral change in the status quo. We strongly urge China to sincerely engage with the Indian side with the aim of quickly restoring peace in the border areas through total disengagement, ”he said at an online press conference.
On Monday, the Indian Army said that the Chinese Army carried out “provocative military moves” to “unilaterally” change the status quo on the southern shore of Lake Pangong in eastern Ladakh on the middle night of August 29-30, but the attempt was thwarted by Indian troops.
Srivastava said Tuesday that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) was engaged in “provocative action” again a day earlier when the ground commanders of the two sides were holding talks to alleviate the situation.
FILE PHOTO: A view of Pangong Tso Lake in the Ladakh region on July 27, 2019 (REUTERS / File Photo)
Following the Chinese attempts, the Indian Army has reinforced its presence at at least three strategic heights on the southern shore of Lake Pangong.
READ: Indian troops moved to two LAC locations on two different days to thwart raid offers from China
Responding to a question on whether Foreign Minister S Jaishankar will travel to Moscow to attend a meeting of SCO foreign ministers on September 10, Srivastava said “yes”. The Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) is a regional grouping of eight nations that includes China and India.
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