China Engaged in ‘Provocative Action’ Yet Again on 31 August: MEA

MEA said the Chinese action happened while ground commanders of the two sides were in talks for de-escalation.

China asked India ‘to not take unilateral actions or stir up trouble,’ in response to reports that an Indian officer and two soldiers were killed in the border region.

(Photo: The Quint)

Reacting to the recent tensions in Ladakh at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) between armies of India and China, the MEA on Tuesday, 1 September, said that the Chinese side had engaged in “provocative action” yet again on 31 August while ground commanders of the two sides were in discussions to de-escalate the situation.

Responding to media queries on tensions flaring up once more, MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said that India and China have been closely engaged through diplomatic and military channels over the past three months to resolve the situation along the India-China border.

He also pointed out that earlier the two Foreign Ministers and the two Special Representatives had agreed “that the situation should be handled in a responsible manner and either side should not take any provocative action or escalate matters and ensure peace and tranquility as per bilateral agreements and protocol.”

However, despite this, the Chinese side had violated the understanding and “engaged in provocative military maneuvers in the late night of 29 and on 30 August in an attempt to change the status quo in the South Bank area of Pangong Lake.”

The MEA said the Indian side had responded to these attempts by taking “appropriate defensive measures along the LAC in order to safeguard our interests and defend the territorial integrity.”

“Due to the timely defensive action, the Indian side was able to prevent these attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo,” a statement by MEA said.

The statement also said that India has taken up the matter of the recent incidents with the Chinese side through both diplomatic and military channels and has “urged them to discipline and control their frontline troops from undertaking such provocative actions.”

What Had Happened?

In a fresh sign of escalating tensions between the neighbouring countries in eastern Ladakh, the Indian Army said in a statement on Monday that Chinese troops violated the previous consensus on the night of 29-30 August and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo.

“Indian troops preempted this PLA activity on the Southern Bank of Pangong Tso Lake, undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on ground,” Colonel Aman Anand, PRO, Indian Army, said in the statement.

However, the Chinese Embassy in India, in a statement, said that "Indian troops illegally trespassed LAC again". It further said that “China has made solemn representations” to India and urged India to “strictly control and restrain its frontline troops.”

China asked India to immediately withdraw troops and put an end to any actions leading to escalation, adding that its troops have never crossed the LAC, CGTN reported.