Situation at border with India 'stable', both sides have 'unimpeded' communication channels: China

Beijing, June 01: China on Monday said that the overall situation at the border with India was "stable and controllable", and both the countries have "unimpeded" communication channels to resolve the issues through dialogue and consultations.

The comments by Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian came in the backdrop of the continuing standoff between the militaries of India and China at the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

The spokesman was responding to a question on Defence Minister Rajnath Singh's remarks that India will not let its "pride be hurt" in its latest border flare-up with China but is determined to settle the dispute through talks between the giant neighbours.

"I want to assure the country that we will not let India's pride be hurt in any circumstances," Singh said in an interview to a news channel on Sunday.

"At times, situations arise with China. It has happened before," Singh said while insisting that India was striving to make sure that the "tension does not escalate". "Negotiations are ongoing between the two countries at the military and diplomatic levels," he said.

Responding to the Indian defence minister's comments, Zhao said, "China has been implementing the consensus between the two countries' leaders. We have been committed to upholding our national sovereignty, security as well as stability along the border".

"Now the overall situation in our border areas is stable and controllable. We have unimpeded communication channels and we hope and believe through dialogue and consultations we can properly resolve the relevant issue," the spokesman told a media briefing here. India on Wednesday said it was engaged with China to peacefully resolve the border row.

"We are engaged with the Chinese side to peacefully resolve it," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, replying to questions at an online media briefing.

Both India and China have rejected US President Donald Trump's offer to mediate to settle the current standoff between the militaries of the two countries.

"The two sides have established mechanisms both at military and diplomatic levels to resolve situations which may arise in border areas peacefully through dialogue and continue to remain engaged through these channels," he said.

Troops of India and China were engaged in a major standoff for over three weeks in Pangong Tso, Galwan Valley, Demchok and Daulat Beg Oldie in eastern Ladakh, in what is turning out to be the biggest confrontation between the two countries after the Doklam episode in 2017.

The situation deteriorated after around 250 Chinese and Indian soldiers were engaged in a violent face-off on the evening of May 5 in Pangong Tso which spilled over to the next day before the two sides agreed to "disengage".

However, the standoff continued. The trigger for the face-off was China's stiff opposition to India laying a key road in the Finger area around the Pangong Tso besides construction of another road connecting the Darbuk-Shayok-Daulat Beg Oldie road in Galwan Valley.

The latest tensions blew up on May 9 when nearly 150 Indian and Chinese military personnel were engaged in a face-off near Naku La Pass in the Sikkim sector. At least 10 soldiers from both sides sustained injuries.

The troops of India and China were engaged in a 73-day stand-off in Doklam tri-junction in 2017. The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488-km-long Line of Actual Control. China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet while India contests it.

Both sides have been asserting that pending the final resolution of the boundary issue, it is necessary to maintain peace and tranquility in the border areas.