China blames India for foiling PLA’s LAC misadventures, says ‘discipline border troops’

Beijing, Sep 02: China on Wednesday threatened India to "stop all provocations" along the international border and asked New Delhi to "withdraw all personnel" who are standing guard thwarting the Chinese incursion.

"The Indian side claims it "pre-empted" Chinese military activity. India's statements reveal the fact that the Indian troops were the first to have illegally crossed the LAC , changed the status quo in the border areas, and violated bilateral agreements and important consensus," said a statement from Foreign Ministry Spokesperson.

"We urge the Indian side to strictly discipline its border troops, stop all provocations, immediately withdraw all personnel who illegally trespassed across the LAC , and stop taking any actions that may escalate tensions or complicate matters," it added.

The statement comes in the backdrop of a provocative military movement by the Peoples Liberation Army. This attempt was however blocked by the Indian troops at Pangong Tso on Saturday.

"The PLA violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in eastern Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo," a statement from the Army said.

"Indian troops pre-empted 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. The Indian Army is committed to maintaining peace and tranquility through dialogue, but is also equally determined to protect its territorial integrity," the statement also added.

The fresh attempt by China to change the status quo in the Pangong lake area is the first major incident in the area after the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15 in which 20 Indian Army personnel were killed.

China also suffered casualties but is yet to make the details public. According to an American intelligence report it was 35.

India and China have held several rounds of military and diplomatic talks in the last two-and-half months but no significant headway has been made for a resolution to the border row in eastern Ladakh.