A day after a standoff between the Indian and Chinese troops occurred near Pangong lake in Ladakh, China on Thursday claimed that the area of the lake in eastern Ladakh is ‘entirely located’ in its territory and under its effective jurisdiction.
On Wednesday, a scuffle broke out between India and Chinese soldiers on the bank of the Pangong Lake, however, the matter was subsequently resolved through talks.
The incident took place after Indian soldiers patrolling the area did not heed to objection to their presence in the area by the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) troops, the sources said on Thursday. Two-thirds of the lake in eastern Ladakh is controlled by China.
Reacting to the incident, the Chinese Foreign Ministry in a written reply to queries from the media in Beijing said that “the areas mentioned in the relevant reports are entirely located in China” and Beijing has been “exercising effective jurisdiction”.
“The Chinese border troops have always strictly followed the relevant agreements and consensus between China and India, carried out regular patrol activities on Chinese territory,” it said.
The statement expressed hope that “India and China would take no action to complicate the situation and ensure harmony and peace in the border areas of the two countries”.
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The standoff between the troops of the two countries in Ladakh is the first such incident after India revoked special status for Jammu and Kashmir and bifurcated it into two union territories Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh.
China has objected to the formation of Ladakh as a union territory, saying that it undermined its territorial sovereignty. The statement evoked a sharp reaction from New Delhi, which asked Beijing to refrain from commenting on India’s “internal affairs”.
The latest reports of tensions between the two countries came at a time when both the sides are preparing for a possible visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to India next month for an informal summit.
(With agency inputs)