Beijing: Claiming that its troops had "never
crossed" the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India, China
on Tuesday said it always respected bilateral agreements on
maintaining peace and tranquility in border areas.
"China`s border personnel have been respecting the two
agreements made between the two countries to maintain peace
and tranquility in border areas and have never crossed the
LAC," Foreign Ministry spokesman Hong Lei told a media
briefing here.
He was responding to a question on reports about Chinese
troops entering the Indian side of the LAC last year and
objecting to the construction of a shed in Demchok area of Leh
in Jammu and Kashmir state.
"We have taken note that the Indian side has issued a
clarification on the relevant issue," Hong said in a brief
reply.
In a statement, the Ministry of External Affairs said in
New Delhi yesterday, "Government has seen media reports
alleging Chinese troop intrusion in the Demchok area of Leh
District in Jammu and Kashmir. These reports are baseless and
do not conform to fact."
Foreign Secretary Nirupama Rao said that "we have time
and again said there are differences in perception of the
Line of Actual Control in this segment... As far as this
particular incident, we are not aware of specific
transgression..."
India and China, besides signing two agreements in 1993
and 1996 respectively to discuss the border problem, have
appointed designated representatives on the matter.
In 2005, the two countries signed an agreement outlining
political guidelines on demarcation during Chinese Prime
Minister Wen Jiabao`s visit to New Delhi.
The two sides have so far held 14 rounds of talks to
resolve the issue without much success.
While India maintains that the dispute is related to over
3500 km of border, including Jammu and Kashmir, China claims
that it is confined to about 2000 km only, mainly to Arunachal
Pradesh which it claims as Southern Tibet.
PTI
