Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi stressed that Beijing will not be the first to complicate or escalate the situation with India, emphasising friendly talks as the way forward to resolve historical territorial disputes.
“The boundary between China and India has not yet been demarcated, so there have been problems. China will firmly safeguard its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and we are ready to manage all kinds of issues through dialogue with the Indian side," Wang Yi said while delivering a speech at the French Institute of International Relations.
The Chinese embassy in New Delhi termed it as a provocative move that seriously infringed on China's territorial sovereignty, and undermined peace and stability in the China-India border area.
But Wang underlined that cooperation outweighs differences and that common interests outweigh conflicts with India.
"If both China and India can develop, the 2.7 billion people in the two countries will move towards modernization together, which will be a spectacular sight that is unprecedented in the cause of human progress. I hope India can see and deal with problems from that perspective," Wang said.
Talking about what he called the "modus vivendi" between India and China, Indian foreign minister S Jaishankar on Monday said the relationship is "extremely consequential" for both countries and "actually for the rest of the world".
Tanks Reached at Firing Distance
Military sources told Sputnik said in New Delhi that situation in the eastern Ladakh is tense but under control. According to sources, Chinese battle tanks and armoured vehicles are stationed near the foothills of 'Kala Top', which is within firing distance of Indian army positions
The Indian side has also moved a tank regiment to between Spanggur Tso and Chushul.
Indian Troops Occupied Hilltops
The Indian army has occupied three hilltops claimed by the Chinese on the south bank of Pangong Tso which gives it a dominant position in case of the movement of Chines troops in the area; Indian government source added. Meanwhile, a second round of Brigadier-level talks in Chushul has been ongoing since Tuesday morning in an attempt to diffuse the situation.
In New Delhi, three Indian army chiefs were called for a meeting with defence minister Rajnath Singh on Tuesday evening with foreign minister S Jaishankar and National Security Advisor Ajit Doval also present.
