December 14, 2022
3 mins read

US keeps close watch on India-China border situation

US State Department spokesperson Ned Price said that the US is in “close contact” with its Indian “partners”…reports YASHWANT RAJ

The US said that it “strongly opposes” any unilateral attempt to advance territorial claims, adding that it is “closely” monitoring the situation along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the aftermath of clashes between militaries of India and China in the Arunachal Pradesh sector.

US State Department spokesperson Ned Price told reporters at the daily briefing that the US is in “close contact” with its Indian “partners”.

Price declined to detail conversations with India.

“We are glad to hear that both sides appear to have quickly disengaged from the clashes,” Price said and went on to appeal to the two countries to discuss their boundary disputes utilising the existing bilateral channels.

White House press secretary Karine Jean-Pierre also expressed similar sentiments. “We are glad to hear that both sides appear to have quickly disengaged from the clashes,” she said, adding, “We are closely monitoring the situation. We encourage India and China to utilise existing bilateral channels to discuss disputed boundaries.”

Arunachal Pradesh, Oct 20 (ANI): A view of the Chinese infrastructure (blue hut) where the India- China meeting takes place, in LAC Bumla on Wednesday. (ANI Photo)

Price was responding to questions about clashes between contingents of the Indian Army and the People’s Liberation Army (PLA – as the Chinese military calls itself) in the Tawang sector last week. The Chinese, numbering about 300, came armed with tasers, knuckle dusters and other weapons – but not guns. The Indian military personnel responded, with swiftly deployed reinforcements, to the transgression and “compelled” the intruders to return to their posts.

The largely unmarked LAC has seen several such clashes, triggered by Chinese intrusion. The most egregious of them took place in Galwan in Ladakh region in 2020. About 20 Indian soldiers were injured at the time and many Chinese soldiers, though Beijing never said how many.

Raja Krishnamoorthi, an Indian American member of the House of Representatives, expressed concern over the clashes. “I’m disturbed to learn of the latest show of aggression by the Chinese Communist Party through its violation of Indian territory with its armed forces,” he said in a statement.

“While I’m grateful that this clash led to no serious casualties to Indian forces, it serves as another reminder of the growing belligerence of the Chinese Communist Party and the need for the United States to continue to work with India and all our security partners in the region to counter Beijing’s aggression,” he added.

These border clashes are more than mere clashes over intrusions. They are seen as “low-level” coercion to unsettle India in view of its growing ties with the US. “China tracks India’s relations with the United States very carefully and is concerned at the synergy between them. Chinese scholarly writings and official statements make the point that the United States is pursuing an anti-China strategy and that India should keep a distance from it,” Vijay Gokhale, former Indian foreign secretary and ambassador to China, writes in a paper published on Tuesday.

“China uses coercion on the LAC to warn India while keeping the possibility of geopolitical backlash low,” he writes, citing a recent study by a Chinese scholar based on interviews with Chinese officials and scholars.

ALSO READ: Wallace “open minded” over sending longer-range weapons to Ukraine

Previous Story

UN recognition for India’s Namami Gange initiative

Next Story

‘Tujhe Bhi Chand’: A special tribute to frontline health workers

Latest from -Top News

Hasina’s Defiant Words Before Ouster

Reportedly before leaving Hasina wanted to record a farewell speech to be aired on television, but military officials declined….reports Asian Lite News Following a violent student uprising last year, the Bangladeshi military

FS Misri in US to Boost Tech, Trade Ties

The meeting, held in Washington, focused on strengthening existing frameworks and building momentum on key tech and trade initiatives…reports Asian Lite News Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri on Wednesday (India time) met with

Activists Targeted Again in Balochistan

The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC) on Tuesday condemned the enforced disappearance of Baloch leader Ghani Baloch, blaming Pakistan’s Law Enforcement Agencies and Frontier Corps….reports Asian Lite News The Baloch Yakjehti Committee (BYC),

Islamabad-Ankara-Baku Axis Sharpens Against India

Both Turkey and Azerbaijan have openly expressed solidarity with Pakistan and backed Islamabad in its military standoff with India, this month….reports Asian Lite News The evolving alliance between Islamabad, Ankara, and Baku

India Targets Pak Terror Ties in Guyana

The delegation met the Guyanese President, Mohamed Irfaan Ali, who had hosted a dinner to celebrate friendship and shared aspirations between the two nations…reports Asian Lite News Congress leader Shashi Tharoor, currently
Go toTop

Don't Miss

Protest site rubbed off online maps in China

As the 34th anniversary of the 1989 massacre approaches, anyone

China Welcomes Modi’s ‘Positive Remarks’ on Ties

PM Modi emphasised that cooperation between India and China is