The Ministry of External Affairs on Thursday alleged that China has amassed large numbers of troops along the Line of Actual Control, in violation of all agreed norms, the Hindustan Times reported. “Since early May, Chinese side has been amassing troops and armaments along the LAC, this is not in line with all agreements,” ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said at a press briefing in New Delhi.
The ministry reiterated that the Indian Army has been patrolling the border in Galwan Valley, the site of an India-China clash on June 15, for a long time and has never attempted to change the status quo. But China has not reciprocated with similar restraint, Srivastava alleged.
A violent clash between Indian and Chinese soldiers in Galwan Valley in Ladakh on June 15 left 20 Indian jawans dead and 76 injured. China admitted on Wednesday that it too had suffered casualties, but did not assign a number.
On Tuesday, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Zhao Lijian had dismissed as “fake news” a statement by Indian minister VK Singh that China lost over 40 soldiers in the face-off. On Wednesday, China accused India of deliberately provoking the clashes, saying New Delhi had openly violated the consensus reached between the two countries on June 6.
This came a day after the two sides held the second round of Corps Commander level talks to discuss border tensions. The first round of Corps Commander talks was held on June 6, but the agreement was violated on June 15 during the “de-escalation” process.
Zhao, at a briefing on Wednesday, claimed that during the first commander meeting of June 6, India had agreed to “no trespassing” of the Galwan Valley for patrolling and for building facilities. “The two sides agreed to set up observatory posts at the two sides of the Galwan river estuary, but the Indian side went against this agreement and asked China to dismantle their posts, and also it crossed the Line of Actual Control,” he said.
Zhao accused the Indian border defence of unilaterally building facilities in the region. In the early hours of May 6, the Indian border guards crossed the line [LAC] and entered the Chinese territory to construct barriers, blocking the normal patrol of the Chinese border guards, and attempted to unilaterally change the status of border control,” he alleged. Zhao claimed that as a result of this, Chinese border security had to take action.
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