Confrontation between India and China: The statement comes after the meeting between Rajnath Singh and China’s Defense Minister
New Delhi:
India is “entirely” responsible for the border confrontation in Ladakh and China will not lose “an inch of its territory,” the Chinese government said Saturday morning, blaming India for the escalating tension between the two countries.
India responded shortly thereafter, and the Defense Ministry noted that China’s actions, including the “accumulation of large numbers of troops … aggressive behavior and attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo,” violated bilateral agreements.
However, the Defense Ministry said that India, while “determined to protect (its) sovereignty and territorial integrity”, wanted China to “work with the Indian side to achieve complete disengagement as soon as possible …”
“The two sides should continue their discussions, including through diplomatic and military channels, to ensure complete disconnection and reduction of escalation and the full restoration of peace and tranquility throughout LAC as soon as possible,” he said. the ministry.
The twin remarks came hours after a high-level meeting in Moscow between Defense Minister Rajnath Singh and his counterpart, Defense Minister Wei Fenghi, a meeting requested by China and the first of its kind since the row broke out. border in June with the murder of 20 Indian soldiers.
“The causes and the truth of the current tension on the China-India border are clear, and the responsibility lies entirely with India. China cannot lose an inch of its territory, and its armed forces are fully determined, they are capable and confident in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity, “the Chinese statement said.
China also called on India to “seriously implement the important consensus reached by President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Narendra Modi and insist on solving the problem through dialogue and consultation.”
“The two sides should focus on deepening China-India relations and improving the overall situation of regional peace and stability … and safeguarding peace and tranquility in the border areas,” the statement said.
In a direct message ahead of his meeting with the Chinese defense minister on the sidelines of a regional summit on security and defense issues, Rajnath Singh said that peace and security required a climate of trust, non-aggression and respect for the rules. international
The Indian army said this week that it had blocked Chinese troops carrying out “provocative military movements” in the Pangong Tso Lake region of Ladakh. The Army classified these movements as the most serious since June.
That attempt was made even as the two nations are engaging in diplomatic and military talks, which, so far, have done little to resolve the border dispute.
In statements exchanged last week, before the “provocative military moves”, China said it wanted the differences with India to be resolved peacefully.
However, after several rounds of military and diplomatic meetings, only a limited disconnect has occurred.
Tensions on the border are now at some of the highest levels since the 1962 war, with China ordering a significant build-up of tanks and infantry in the Pangong region of southern eastern Ladakh.
India has bolstered its own tank formations in the area and deployed additional forces to shore up the heights it maintains along the disputed Royal Line of Control (LAC) in the region.
There has also been intense air activity throughout LAC, with the Chinese Air Force intensifying the deployment of fighters from Ngari-Gunsa and Hotan air bases in Tibet.
Army Chief General MM Naravane has described the situation throughout LAC as “tense”, but also that it could “be fully resolved through talks.”
Earlier this week, the Chief of Defense General Bipin Rawat said that despite the threat of coordinated action on the northern and western fronts, an allusion to a joint threat from Pakistan and China, the armed forces of India were able to respond in the “best appropriate way”.
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