The Chinese Embassy in India has released a statement about the resent confrontation at LAC in eastern Ladakh. Answering the media query, spokesperson of the Chinese Embassy in India, Ji Rong, said that, “Provocations of Indian troops grossly violated China’s territorial sovereignty & bilateral agreements, ran counter to efforts of both sides to ease the situation on the ground. We urge the Indian side immediately to stop any actions leading to escalation & complication.”
The Embassy statement accused India of violating China’s territorial sovereignty and trespassing on their territory.
In the statement on the Embassy’s site, they wrote that on 31st August, Indian troops violated the consensus that was reached between the two nations after multi-level engagements and negotiations. China alleged that India had ‘illegally trespassed’ the Line of Actual Control again at the southern bank of the Pangong Tso Lake and near the Reqin Pass in the western sector of the China-India border.
They added, “India’s move has grossly violated China’s territorial sovereignty, seriously violated relevant agreements, protocols and important consensus reached between the two countries, and severely damaged peace and tranquility along the China-India border areas.” According to the statement, what India has done will affect the efforts made by both sides to cool down the situation on the ground. China had gone ahead and warned India that if India does not stop all the provocation actions on the border and withdraw the troops, the situation will escalate and get complicated.
The Hindu’s pro-China report makes contradictory claims
Hours before the statement was released on the Embassy’s website, The Hindu published a report in which they claimed that China controls 1,000 sq km of area in Ladakh. The report suggested that Intelligence input provided to the Centre mentioned that China now controls 1,000 sq km of the area along the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh.
The report quoted an unnamed official who claimed that about 20 sq km in Galwan Valley, 12 sq km in Hot Springs, 65 sq km in Pangong Tso and 20 sq km in Chushul area under Chinese control. The report further alleged that the Chinese forces control area from Finger 4 to 8 near Pangong Tso Lake. Both Indian and Chinese troops patrolled the stretch till May. It is considered to be part of the Indian side.
India took over control of strategic heights to dominate South Bank of Pangong Tso
On Monday, the Indian Army announced that on the intervening night between the 29th and 30th August, the Chinese PLA PLA “carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo” but the Indian Armed Forces personnel thwarted their nefarious intentions by pre-empting their movements on the Southern Bank of the Pangong Tso lake.