New Delhi accuses Beijing of flouting LAC pacts, China retorts India crossed border

India and China blamed each other on Thursday over the bloody LAC brawl, with each side holding the other responsible for tension along the Line of Actual Control.

While India accused China of disregarding mutual agreements leading to the brawl on June 15 in the Galwan valley leaving 20 Indian Army personnel dead, China said the Indian side crossed the LAC for provocation and attacked the Chinese border troops and the Indian forces seriously violated agreements on border issues between the two countries.

Reiterating India’s position, External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said here the Chinese side departed from previously agreed understanding in respect to the Galwan valley area and sought to erect structures just across the LAC).

“When this attempt was foiled, Chinese troops took violent actions on June 15 that directly resulted in casualties,” the Spokesperson asserted. He said the conduct of Chinese forces this year has been in complete disregard of all mutually agreed norms.

On the other hand, Chinese ambassador to India Sun Weidon said, “The onus is not on China. The Indian side crossed the LAC for provocation and attacked the Chinese border troops. The Indian forces seriously violated agreements on border issues between the two countries.”

He said China was ready to work with India to resolve stand-offs and cautioned “suspicion and friction” was a wrong path to follow.

India and China are able to properly manage their differences, and called upon New Delhi to avoid taking actions that may “complicate” the situation in eastern Ladakh. He went on to add that at present, the overall situation in the China-India border areas is “stable and controllable.”

“We hope the Indian side meets the Chinese side halfway, avoids taking actions that may complicate the border situation and takes concrete actions to maintain stability in the border areas,” he said in an interview to PTI.

But India insisted that the Chinese tried to change the status quo in Ladakh in mid-May with the MEA saying India had registered its protest through diplomatic and military channels.

On June 6, the senior commanders of both the armies agreed on a process for de-escalation and disengagement along the LAC that involved reciprocal actions.

However, the Chinese side departed from these understandings in respect of the LAC in the Galwan valley area and sought to erect structures just across the LAC. When this attempt was foiled, Chinese troops took violent actions on June 15 that directly resulted in casualties. Thereafter, both sides remain deployed in large numbers in the region, while military and diplomatic contacts are continuing, Srivastava said. He also said since early May, the Chinese side has been amassing a large contingent of troops and armaments along the LAC. This is not in accordance with the provisions of our various bilateral agreements, the Spokesperson said.

Meanwhile, the Chinese Ambassador said “mutual respect and support” is a sure way and meets the long-term interests of both countries, but at the same time, largely put the onus on India to ease tension in the region.

“China and India are both large developing countries and emerging economies with more than one billion people, and both have the historic mission of realising our own development and revitalisation,” he said.

“Under the guidance of the important consensus reached by the leaders of the two countries, we are ready to work with the Indian side to properly deal with the current situation, jointly uphold peace and stability in the border areas, and ensure a sound and steady development of bilateral relations,” Sun said.

The Chinese envoy repeated his Government’s stand that Indian troops are responsible for the Galwan valley clashes, and indicated that the onus was on India to improve the situation in eastern Ladakh.

The Ambassador said the two sides kept peace for decades in Galwan valley, adding since the beginning of 2020, the Indian side has built facilities at or the crossing of the LAC in the Galwan valley, “constantly changing the status quo of ground control.

On May 6, he claimed the Indian troops crossed the LAC in the Galwan valley by night and trespassed into Chinese territory. “They resorted to violent means to create a standoff between the two sides and built infrastructures in an attempt to maintain a permanent presence,” he alleged.

The ambassador said the Indian side promised in the talks on June 6 that they would not cross the estuary of the Galwan river to patrol and build facilities, adding the two sides agreed to build observation posts on either side of the Galwan river mouth.

“However, after the commander-level meeting, when the situation on the ground was already easing, the Indian border troops copped out on the consensus reached at the commander-level meeting, demanded that China dismantle its observation post,” he said.