China and India’s defense ministers met on Friday, the day after each accused the other of being directly responsible for serious clashes along the new border. Both sides are massing military forces along the border in a dangerous situation.
China’s Defense Minister Wei Fenghe and India’s Defense Minister Singh met Friday on the sidelines of the SCO meeting in Moscow at the highest level since June’s bloodshed, and while both sides said they were committed to de-escalating the situation, the next day each accused the other in a message of disrupting the status quo on the border.
India and China have been engaged in bloody clashes in the Bangong Lake area since June, in a rare 45-year battle that has left 20 soldiers dead on the Indian side and the Chinese side has been tight-lipped about its own death toll.
New clashes between the two armies erupted in the area last week, with the Indian side accusing Chinese troops of trying to invade Indian territory near Bangong Lake, east of Ladakh. The Chinese military’s Western Theater Command said Indian troops “once again crossed the Line of Actual Control on the border on August 31 and deliberately launched a provocation.
On August 31, Indian officials said Indian troops successfully prevented PLA personnel from “occupying” a high ground, while the Chinese denied crossing the Line of Actual Control on the same day. The Indian government issued a statement saying that Chinese soldiers had violated the agreement last Saturday by taking “a change in the status quo” on the southern shore of Lake Bangong Tso in Ladakh. The statement added that Indian military personnel were “pre-emptive” and took steps to “consolidate our position while thwarting Chinese attempts to unilaterally change the status quo. Indian networks also reported “Indian troops reclaiming a high ground” and a series of celebratory scenes.
Tensions rose again, and it was against this backdrop that the two defense ministers met.
Since June, when New Delhi and Beijing accused each other of being responsible for the dire situation, both armies have significantly increased the number of troops on the border by tens of thousands.
According to AFP, India’s defense minister said in a statement on Saturday that China’s massive troop presence along the border, the provocative behavior of Chinese troops, and their attempts to unilaterally change the status quo are all in violation of previous agreements reached between the two sides.
The Indian defense minister added that New Delhi hopes to resolve the border issue through negotiations, but, at the same time, please do not have any doubts about India’s determination to defend its territorial integrity and sovereignty.
Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe also used an uncompromising tone, stating that the cause and truth of the current border tensions between China and India are clear, and that India must take full responsibility.
The defense minister added, “”China cannot lose an inch of its territory, and the Chinese army is fully determined, capable and confident to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.”” He called on the Indian side to strengthen its control over the armed forces on the border and prevent any escalation of tensions.
The Indian military has cancelled its participation in the SCO military exercises in order not to appear with the Chinese military. India is also increasingly resorting to economic means, such as banning numerous Chinese applications and freezing Chinese companies’ participation in 5G infrastructure.
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