Capable of resolving issues without third-party interference: China on border row with India
New Delhi, May 30: After India, China on Friday too rejected US President Donald Trump's offer to "mediate" between India and China to end their border standoff, saying the two countries are capable of resolving their differences through dialogue and did not require the help of a "third party".
In an embarrassment to the US President, sources here denied his claims of having spoken to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on India's military standoff with China in eastern Ladakh. In fact, they underlined that no conversation has taken place between the two leaders since April 4 when they spoke on export of hydroxychloroquine.
China, India capable of resolving issues through dialogue: Beijing rejects Trump's mediation offer
The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) has been stressing on bilateralism to resolve the dispute even as the US, first by senior diplomat Alice Wells and later Trump, sought to triangulate it.
Recommended Video
For the first time, the Chinese Foreign Office also spoke against the US offer for mediation. "We are capable of properly resolving the issues between us through dialogue and consultation. We do not need the intervention of the third party," its spokesperson said at a media briefing here. "We have existing border-related mechanisms and communication channels between China and India," he added.
The clarification from both India and China was prompt after Trump said in response to question that he had spoken to PM Modi and went on to say that the Indian PM was not in a "good mood" over the "big conflict" between India and China.
A day earlier, the MEA had said India was directly in touch with China through established mechanisms and diplomatic contacts to resolve the border stand-off.
Trump has offered at least half a dozen times to mediate between India and Pakistan on the Kashmir issue, which was always turned down by New Delhi.
PM Modi did not converse with Trump on border standoff with China: Officials
India,
US
can
strike
'smaller' trade
deal
soon
Washington:
India
and
the
US
could
strike
a
'smaller'
trade
deal
in
the
coming
weeks,
India's
ambassador
Taranjit
Singh
Sandhu
has
said
while
acknowledging
that
the
unprecedented
challenges
posed
by
the
pandemic
has
been
a
'bit
of
a
setback'
in
moving
ahead
as
the
governments
are
focused
on
tackling
the
health
crisis.
Addressing
the
virtual
West
Coast
Summit
of
US-India
Strategic
Partnership
Forum,
Sandhu
said
India's
supply
of
HCQ
to
the
US
has
given
the
two
countries
enough
confidence
and
have
played
an
important
foundation.