New Delhi: Rejecting reports that over 40 were killed on Chinese side, Beijing on Tuesday called the numbers "fake news". Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Zhao Lijian added that China and India were in dialogue and talks with each other to resolve the border issue through diplomatic and military channels.
Lijian's reaction came after some reports stated that Indian intercepts revealed Chinese side suffered 43 casualties, including dead and seriously injured, in the violent face-off in Ladakh's Galwan Valley.
The violent face-off happened on late evening and night of June 15 as a result of an attempt by the Chinese troops to "unilaterally change" the status quo during de-escalation in eastern Ladakh and the situation could have been avoided if the agreement at the higher level been scrupulously followed by the Chinese side, India later said.
At least 20 Indian soldiers were killed in the violent face-off.
Indian and Chinese militaries on Monday held a second round of Lt General-level talks in an attempt to ease tensions between the two countries.
The first round of the Lt Gen talks was held on June 6 at the same venue during which both sides finalised an agreement to disengage gradually from all standoff points beginning with Galwan Valley. However, the situation along the border deteriorated following the violent clashes on June 15 as the two sides significantly bolstered their deployments in most areas along the 3,500-km de-facto border.
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