Have taken up matter of aggressive actions with Chinese side, urged them to control frontline troops: MEA
Sep 01, 2020
New Delhi [India], September 1 : India has taken up the matter of "recent provocative and aggressive actions" with the Chinese side and has urged them to control their frontline troops, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Tuesday.
"We have taken up the matter of recent provocative and aggressive actions with the Chinese side through both diplomatic and military channels and have urged them to discipline and control their frontline troops from undertaking such provocative actions," said MEA.
The Ministry said Indian side is firmly committed to resolve all outstanding issues along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Western Sector through peaceful dialogue.
"India and China have been closely engaged through diplomatic and military channels over the past three months to resolve the situation along the India-China border," MEA said.
The Ministry reiterated that Chinese side violated this understanding and engaged in provocative military manoeuvres in the late night of 29/30 August in an attempt to change the status quo in the South Bank area of Pangong Lake.
"As stated yesterday by Indian Army, the Indian side responded to these provocative actions and took appropriate defensive measures along the LAC in order to safeguard our interests and defend the territorial integrity," MEA said.
On 31st August, even as ground commanders of two sides were in discussions to de-escalate the situation, Chinese troops again engaged in provocative action. Due to timely defensive action, the Indian side was able to prevent these attempts to unilaterally alter status quo, said the Ministry of External Affairs.
India and China should have goodwill in maintaining bilateral ties and take concrete measures to safeguard peace and tranquillity along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Chinese Foreign Ministry said earlier in the day.
"I think both sides should stick to facts and have goodwill in maintaining the bilateral relations and take concrete measures to safeguard peace and tranquillity along the border," Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said at a press conference.
The Indian Army has thwarted an attempt by the Chinese Army to transgress into Indian areas near the southern bank of Pangong Tso near Chushul in Ladakh on the intervening night of Saturday and Sunday and talks are being held now to resolve the issue there, an Army spokesperson said on Monday.
"On the night of August 29-30, People's Liberation Army troops violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in Eastern Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo," said Army spokesperson Colonel Aman Anand in a statement.
The Indian Army took measures to strengthen its position and "and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on the ground".
India and China are engaged in a standoff since April-May over the transgressions by the Chinese Army in multiple areas including Finger area, Galwan valley, Hot springs and Kongrung Nala.
Negotiations between the two sides have been going on for the last three months, including five Lieutenant General-level talks but have failed to yield any results, so far.