Beijing: China on Tuesday dismissed fresh reports
of incursions by its troops into Indian territory, saying it
was committed to solving the vexed boundary issue through
talks and would like to make joint efforts with India to
maintain peace along the border.
China has a consistent stand on the Sino-India boundary
issue, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu told a news
briefing here, replying to a question about reports in a
section of India media alleging incursions by the Chinese
troops.
"China and India are committed to solving boundary issue
through negotiations... but before the settlement of the
boundary issue there should be joint efforts to safeguard
peace and tranquility on the boundary," she said.
"Our activities along the boundary area have been
consistent with the above principles. Our patrol along the
border will never cross border to other countries," she said.
Asked whether there was any case of incursion by either
side since January this year, Jiang said "I think China and
India have important consensus on retaining tranquility on the
border and we have been acting accordingly over the past few
years."
"We would like to make joint efforts with India to
maintain tranquility along the border," she said.
According to latest reports in Indian media on the
Chinese intrusions, at least three incursions by motorized
armed patrols of the People`s Liberation Army in the
strategically-located Trig Heights and Pangong Tso lake were
recorded during last week.
The two countries have set up a mechanism to discuss the
dispute along their 3500-km long border, in which the Indian
side is headed by its National Security Adviser while China is
represented by its State Councillor.
India says China is illegally occupying 43,180 sq kms of
Jammu and Kashmir, including 5,180 sq km illegally ceded to
Beijing by Islamabad under the Sino-Pakistan boundary
agreement in 1963.
On the other hand, China accuses India of possessing some
90,000 sq km of Chinese territory, mostly in Arunachal
Pradesh.
PTI
