China urges India to ‘immediately withdraw troops illegally trespassing border area’

India's move has grossly violated China's territorial sovereignty, says Chinese official

NEW DELHI:

The Chinese embassy in New Delhi on Tuesday urged India to immediately withdraw its troops illegally trespassing the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and immediately halt any move that would escalate tensions.

In response to a media query on the China-India border situation, spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India Counsellor Ji Rong said that China urged the Indian side to restrain its frontline troops and immediately end all provocative actions.

"On August 31, Indian troops violated the consensus reached in previous multi-level engagements and negotiations between China and India, illegally trespassed the Line of Actual Control again at the southern bank of the Pangong Tso Lake and near the Reqin Pass in the western sector of China-India border, and conducted flagrant provocations, which again stirred tension in the border areas," Ji said.

"India's move has grossly violated China's territorial sovereignty, seriously violated relevant agreements, protocols and important consensus reached between the two countries, and severely damaged peace and tranquillity along the China-India border areas," the spokesperson added.

"What India has done runs counter to the efforts made by both sides for a period of time to ease and cool down the situation on the ground, and China is resolutely opposed to this," she also said.

On Monday, China had denied Indian allegations of fresh "provocation" at Ladakh border, saying that its border troops have always strictly respected the Line of Actual Control and never crossed it.

"Border troops from both sides have maintained communication over issues on the ground," Chinese foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said at a regular press briefing.

The Galwan Valley, which is part of the disputed Ladakh region, is located on the Chinese side of the actual control line in the western section of the Sino-Indian border. And Chinese soldiers have patrolled the area for many years, according to China's Defence Ministry.

Indian army, in a statement, had accused China of carrying out "provocative" movements on their contested Himalayan border near where 20 Indian troops were killed in a battle in June.

The statement said the incidents happened in eastern Ladakh on Saturday night but did not indicate whether there was a new clash.