BEIJING – A Chinese Foreign Ministry’s Spokesperson on Thursday reiteratedthat the India side was totally responsible for the current standoffbetween the troops of two countries on the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
“The merits of the situation at the border area are very clear and theresponsibility totally lies with the Indian side,” Hua Chunying said inresponse to remarks of Indian External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar aboutChina-India border situation, during her regular briefing held here.
She dismissed Indian accusation that China had violated multiple agreementssigned between the two sides and made it clear that the Chinese side hadbeen strictly observing the agreements signed between the two sides andcommitted to resolving the border issue through dialogue.
“We are committed to safeguarding regional peace and tranquillity at borderareas,” she added. Hua Chunying said that in the meantime, the Chinese sidewas determined in safeguarding its territorial sovereignty, adding, “Wehope India can work with us and contribute to solidarity, cooperation andcommon development.”
To yet another question, she said, “About the border issue like I said thesituation happened at the border area the merits of it are very clear.”
The spokesperson said that China had been observing strictly the agreementsbetween the two sides and committed to resolving the border issue throughdialogue and safeguarding peace and traquility at the border area.
“But like all sovereign states we are determined in safeguarding ourterritorial integrity. So on the Indian side, I think this is a seriousquestion on what it should reflect upon. There are challenges in bilateralrelations but China’s position and policy on India hasn’t changed,” sheadded.
Hua Chunying observed that China and India were neighbors and the world’stwo biggest emerging markets and keeping good relations served thefundamental interests of both countries and its people but it requiredcommon efforts from both sides.
“As two major countries and emerging markets keeping good relations servesthe fundamental interests of both and we will stay committed tosafeguarding the peace and tranquillity in the border area,” she said.
She said that on the historical issues, China believed that both countriesshould find fair, reasonable and mutually acceptable solutions based onequal footed consultation and put it on the proper position in ourbilateral relations.
“We hope we can reach consensus properly manage differences, enhancepractical cooperation and bring our bilateral relations back on the right,”she added.
The Chinese and Indian soldiers had engaged in the most serious borderclashes since they fought a war in 1962, leaving as many as 20 Indiansoldiers dead during a fight in June.
China held India responsible for the incidents, calling the actions byIndian border troops “infringing and provocative.”
In a bid to resolve the current border situation, China and India hadreached a five-point consensus. Both sides had agreed to take guidance fromthe series of consensus of the leaders on developing India-China relations.
The militaries of the two countries also held several round of commanderlevel talks and exchanged in-depth views on easing the current situation onthe border areas.The disputed border covers nearly 3,500 kilometers (2,175 miles) offrontier that the two countries call the Line of Actual Control (LAC) andthat stretches from Ladakh in the north to the Indian state of Sikkim inthe northeast.
The two countries have been trying to settle their border dispute since theearly 1990s without success.