The United States on Wednesday hit out at China over the border dispute with India in its statement where it underlined that the “only way to stop these provocations is by standing up to Beijing” and hoped for a peaceful resolution between the two republics.
A US State Department spokesperson said that the United States is closely monitoring the India-China border situation. “We’re closely monitoring it and hope for peaceful resolution. As Secretary (Mike) Pompeo said on several occasions, what’s so disturbing is emergence of clear pattern of Beijing acting increasingly aggressively, both domestically and abroad.”
“From Taiwan Strait to Xinjiang, South China Sea to Himalayas, cyberspace to international organisations, we’re dealing with Chinese Communist Party that seeks to repress its own people and bully its neighbours. Only way to stop these provocations is by standing up to Beijing,” said the US State Department.
Meanwhile, the Pentagon on Tuesday slammed China for “using coercive tactics in pursuit of territorial and maritime claims in the South and East China Seas, as well as along its border with India and Bhutan.”
“China’s leaders use tactics short of armed conflict to pursue China’s objectives. China calibrates its coercive activities to fall below the threshold of provoking armed conflict with the United States, its allies and partners, or others in the Indo-Pacific region,” the Pentagon said in its annual report on China to the Congress.
The Indian Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Tuesday said the Chinese army “engaged in provocative action” on August 31 even as commanders from both sides were engaged in discussions to de-escalate the situation at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh on the southern bank of Pangong Lake.
China’s attempt to unilaterally change the status quo on the Pangong lake was the first major incident in the area after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed.
Meanwhile, even as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh flew to Moscow on Wednesday to attend the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) ministerial meeting, there are indications now that even External Affairs Minister (EAM) S Jaishankar will take part in the foreign ministers meeting on September 10. However, the MEA is yet to make an announcement to this effect though.
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) is yet to make an announcement to this effect though. Last week, at a press briefing, MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava had said, “EAM has received an invitation to participate in the SCO foreign ministers meeting to be held in Moscow next month and as soon as we have a decision on his participation, we’ll inform you.”
“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. The Chinese side violated this understanding and engaged in provocative military maneuvers in the late night of August 29-30 in an attempt to change the status quo in the South Bank area of Pangong Lake,” MEA spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said on Tuesday.
“On August 31, 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, Indian side was able to prevent these attempts to unilaterally alter status quo,” it said.
The MEA said the government has taken up the matter of recent provocative and aggressive actions with Chinese side through both diplomatic and military channels and has urged them to discipline and control their frontline troops.
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