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India and China are holding a third round of Brigade Commander-level talks in Chushul on the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, a day after the Indian security forces yet again foiled an attempt by the Chinese Army to transgress into the Indian side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the general area of Chumar.
On Monday, the Indian Army said the Chinese military carried out "provocative military movements" to "unilaterally" change the status quo on the southern bank of Pangong lake on the intervening night of August 29 and 30 but the attempt was thwarted by the Indian troops. The two sides held talks for around six hours on Monday but no concrete outcome emerged from the engagements.
External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said the Indian side was able to prevent these attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo due to the timely "defensive action", and asked China to "discipline and control" their frontline troops from undertaking such "provocative" actions.
He said the Chinese side violated previously agreed understanding and engaged in provocative military manoeuvres in the late night of August 29 and on August 30 in an attempt to change the status quo in the South Bank area. The attempt seen as China's bid to open a new front in the prolonged border standoff in a fresh confrontation was thwarted by the Indian troops.
China, meanwhile, claimed it has "not occupied an inch" of other country’s territory nor "provoked" a war in its 70-odd year history and its border troops never crossed the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with India.
As tension mounted in eastern Ladakh, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh reviewed the situation in the region at a two-hour meeting which was attended by External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar, National Security Advisor Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff Gen Bipin Rawat and Army Chief Gen MM Naravane among others.
(With PTI inputs)
