New Delhi: Even as China reacted strongly to the Indian Army statement about taking preemptive action to thwart a fresh attempt by China's People's Liberation Army (PLA) to encroach into Indian territory in Pangong Tso Lake in eastern Ladakh along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the External Affairs Ministry on Tuesday reiterated that Beijing's actions continue to be in violation of bilateral agreements and protocols concluded between the two sides to ensure peace and tranquility along the two Asian giants' border.
In a statement, Ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that China engaged in "provocative military manoeuvres" in the late night of August 29-30 "in an attempt to change the status quo in the South Bank area of Pangong Lake."
"As stated yesterday by Indian Army, the Indian side responded to these provocative actions and took appropriate defensive measures along the LAC in order to safeguard our interests and defend the territorial integrity," Srivastava said.
"Furthermore, yesterday on August 31, even as the ground commanders of the two sides were in discussions to de-escalate the situation, the Chinese troops again engaged in provocative action. Due to the timely defensive action, the Indian side was able to prevent these attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo."
The External Affairs Ministry’s remarks came after Ji Rong, the spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi, alleged that "Indian troops violated the consensus reached in previous multi-level engagements and negotiations between China and India, illegally trespassed the Line of Actual Control again at the southern bank of the Pangong Tso Lake and near the Reqin Pass in the western sector of China-India border, and conducted flagrant provocations, which again stirred tension in the border areas."
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"India's move has grossly violated China's territorial sovereignty, seriously violated relevant agreements, protocols and important consensus reached between the two countries, and severely damaged peace and tranquility along the China-India border areas. What India has done runs counter to the efforts made by both sides for a period of time to ease and cool down the situation on the ground, and China is resolutely opposed to this."
On Monday, the Indian Army issued a statement saying that PLA troops violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in Eastern Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo.
"Indian troops preempted this PLA activity on the southern bank of Pangong Tso Lake, undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on ground," the Army statement said. "The Indian Army is committed to maintaining peace and tranquillity through dialogue, but is also equally determined to protect its territorial integrity."
Fresh tensions have arisen between India and China after the PLA troops' violation of consensus to deescalate the situation in Ladakh after a bloody conflict in Galwan Valley in June this year that resulted in deaths on both sides for the first time along the LAC in 45 years.
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Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying, at a regular media briefing in Beijing on Tuesday, alleged that Indian troops illegally trespassed the LAC at the southern bank of the Pangong Tso Lake and the Reqin Mountain.
"China demands the Indian side stop its provocations and immediately withdraw its border troops that illegally trespassed the LAC, and immediately cease any actions that may lead to tensions, escalation and complication of the situation," Hua said.
Also on Tuesday, the Global Times, the influential state-affiliated English daily of China, ran an editorial headlined "China must resolutely counterattack India's opportunist move" claiming that India made a "blatant provocative move that seriously infringed on China's territorial sovereignty, and undermined the peace and stability in the China-India border area."
While stating that China needs to prepare to carry out a military struggle in the China-India border area, it also called for resolving frictions between the two sides through peaceful means.
"But when India recklessly challenges China's bottom line, China must not be soft. It must take military actions when necessary, and ensure it can win," the editorial stated.
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Stating that "China is several times stronger than India, and India is no match for China" it added: "We must smash any Indian illusion that it can deal with China by colluding with other powers, such as the US. The history of Asia and the world has told us that any force keen on opportunism tends to bully the weak while fear the strong. India is a typical opportunist when it comes to the China-India border issue."
In his statement, spokesperson Srivastava said that External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar and his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, as also the Special Representatives of the two sides, had agreed that the situation should be handled in a responsible manner and either side should not take any provocative action or escalate matters and ensure peace and tranquility according to bilateral agreements and protocol.
"The actions and behaviour of the Chinese side since earlier this year along the LAC has been in clear violation of the bilateral agreements and protocols concluded between the two countries to ensure peace and tranquility on the border," he stated.
"Such actions are also in complete disregard to the understandings reached between the two Foreign Ministers as also the Special Representatives."
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Srivastava said that India has taken up the matter of recent provocative and aggressive actions with China through both diplomatic and military channels and has urged Beijing to discipline and control their frontline troops from undertaking such provocative actions.
"The Indian side is firmly committed to resolve all outstanding issues along the LAC in the Western Sector through peaceful dialogue," he stated.
"In this context, we expect the Chinese side to sincerely abide by the understanding reached earlier and earnestly work with the India to resolve the situation and to restore peace and tranquility in the border areas."
