'Amassing of Chinese Troops Cause of Border Tensions': EAM

Earlier this week, the Chinese Foreign Ministry stated that the Indian side has long pursued the ‘forward policy’.

In response to the Chinese Foreign Ministry remarking that New Delhi's pursuit of a 'forward policy' and the encroachment into China's territory past the Line of Actual Control (LAC) was the 'root cause' of tensions along the border, India on Thursday, 30 September, said that China's extensive deployment of troops had catalysed the present scenario between the two nations.

Rejecting Beijing's claims as having 'no basis in facts', Ministry of External Affairs’ spokesperson, Arindam Bagchi stated, “It was the amassing of a large number of troops by the Chinese side, their provocative behaviour and unilateral attempts to alter the status quo in contravention of all our bilateral agreements that resulted in serious disturbance of peace and tranquility along the LAC in eastern Ladakh," The Indian Express quoted.

He added that India's armed forces only countered the already present deployments and armaments in the area to protect India's security interests.

Earlier this week, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying stated that "the Indian side has long pursued the ‘forward policy’ and illegally crossed the LAC to encroach on China’s territory, which is the root cause of tension in the China-India border situation".

She went on to claim that Beijing is against any 'arms race' for 'the purpose of competition over control'.

At a meeting with his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi, External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had stated that it is India's expectation that China will 'will work towards early resolution of the remaining issues along the LAC in eastern Ladakh while fully abiding by bilateral agreements and protocols'.

India and China have been engaged in diplomatic and military talks after tensions began rising along the high-altitude border in 2020. The situation between the two countries escalated when 20 Indian soldiers were killed in a skirmish in mid-June last year at the Galwan Valley in Ladakh.

(With inputs from the Indian Express)