The defense ministers of India and China met in Moscow on Friday (Sept. 4) in an attempt to ease growing tensions along the disputed border in the Ladakh region, where India and China clashed in June, killing 20 Indian soldiers, and where the Chinese have not released the number of Chinese fatalities.
The Indian government said Saturday that Defense Minister Singh and Chinese Defense Minister Wei Fenghe had “frank and in-depth” discussions about the border standoff along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh and India-China relations, the Hindustan Times reported.
According to the Indian Defense Ministry statement, Singh made clear India’s position on developments along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) over the past few months, including in the Galwan Valley, west of the India-China border region.
Singh said, “The current situation should be handled responsibly and neither side should take any further action that could complicate the situation or escalate the situation in the border region.”
This is the first high-level direct contact between India and China since the standoff erupted in the Karakoram region several months ago. Foreign ministers and other officials from both sides have consulted mainly by phone since the standoff began in May.
According to China’s official Xinhua news agency, Wei Fenghe said the two sides should “push for an early de-escalation of the current situation to maintain peace and tranquility in the China-India border region. However, according to China’s Ministry of Defense website, Wei Fenghe said that “the cause and truth of the current tension along the China-India border is very clear, and the responsibility lies entirely with the Indian side. He also said, “China cannot lose an inch of its territory, and the Chinese army has full determination, ability and confidence to safeguard national sovereignty and territorial integrity.
The meeting between the Indian and Chinese defense ministers took place in Moscow on the sidelines of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting.
Indian Defense Minister Singh tweeted that the meeting lasted two hours and 20 minutes, but did not provide further details.
On the other hand, local Indian and Chinese military commanders met for the sixth consecutive day Saturday at a border post to bridge their differences in the Ladakh Chushul region, where an outbreak of violence broke out last week.
Fresh clashes between the two armies erupted last week in the area, with the Indian side accusing the Chinese military of trying to invade Indian territory near Bangong Lake in eastern Ladakh. According to the Chinese military’s Western Theater Command, “Indian troops, in violation of the consensus reached at the China-India multi-level talks, once again crossed the Line of Actual Control (LAC) on Monday (August 31) and deliberately launched a provocation”.
Indian Army Chief of Staff Nalavani visited the Ladakh region on Thursday and Friday and met with soldiers deployed in difficult terrain above 4,300 meters (14,000 feet), the Indian Defense Ministry said. Naravani said Friday that he believes the standoff with China on the western Himalayan border can be resolved through negotiations.
Both sides have accused each other of provocations since the border clashes erupted, including entering each other’s territory this week, and both sides have vowed to protect their territorial integrity.
Tensions between China and India have recently escalated. India banned another 118 mobile apps last Wednesday, including Tencent’s popular “PUBG” game, and has stepped up its efforts to crack down on Chinese tech companies following the border standoff with Beijing.
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