What’s new: The situation on the China-India border is “generally stable” and the two sides are in communication, China’s Foreign Ministry said Tuesday following a clash along the disputed Himalayan frontier.
China and India have “maintained smooth communication on boundary-related issues through diplomatic and military channels,” said Wang Wenbin, a spokesperson of the ministry, at a regular briefing.
“We hope that the Indian side will work with us in the same direction,” said Wang, urging that the two countries act strictly in the spirit of bilateral agreements and jointly preserve peace and tranquility in the border areas.
Background: Indian and Chinese troops clashed at the border in the Himalayas last week, the first confirmed encounter between the neighbors in about two years.
Senior Colonel Long Shaohua, a spokesperson for the Western theater of the People’s Liberation Army, said in a statement that Chinese troops were conducting a routine patrol on their side of the frontier Dec. 9 when they encountered “illegal obstruction” from Indian troops who crossed the line.
The army dealt with the situation using professional, standard and powerful measures and stabilized the situation, Long said in a statement Tuesday. The troops have since disengaged, Long said.
India blamed Chinese soldiers for transgressing. India’s Defense Minister Rajnath Singh Tuesday said troops from both sides “exchanged blows” and both had injuries.
A border conflict between China and India in June 2020 — the worst in more than 40 years — left at least 20 Indian and at least four Chinese soldiers dead and chilled relations of the two Asian powers.
Contact reporter Han Wei (weihan@caixin.com) and editor Bob Simison (bob.simison@caixin.com)
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