China slams US General's alarm over border infrastructure near Ladakh
Highlights
- The construction of a Chinese bridge was completed on the Pangong Lake's border territory
- The areas have continued to be under the illegal occupation of China since 1962
- Ladakh border standoff between India and China erupted in the summer of 2020
China has slammed the United States after the Joe Biden-led country raised an alarm over Chinese infrastructure build-up near the Indo-Tibet border near Ladakh. American Pacific Army's General Charles A Flynn on Wednesday had said that the defense infrastructure constructed by China near the Indian border is "alarming", and "eye-opening".
According to a report, Beijing has accused Flynn of attempting to "fan flames" through his statements.
"Some US officials have pointed fingers and sought to fan the flame and drive a wedge between the two countries. This is disgraceful. We hope the US could do more things that contribute to regional peace and stability," Chinese foreign minister spokesperson Zhao Lijian said.
Zhou further said that the border issue was a matter to be solved between the two countries.
"Both sides have the will and capability of resolving the question through dialogue and consultation".
The Chinese embassy in New Delhi also addressed the matter by noting that the allegations against China were "without any factual basis" and accused the US of violating the norms of "basic principles of diplomacy".
Chinese construction on Pangong Lake's border
The construction of a Chinese bridge, termed highly 'strategic' by analysts, was completed on the Pangong Lake's border territory in Khurnak, which extends across Ladakh and Tibet.
In February this year, Minister of State for External Affairs V Muraleedharan had informed the Lok Sabha a bridge was being constructed by China on Pangong lake in areas that have continued to be under the illegal occupation of China since 1962, adding that the Government of India has never accepted this "illegal" occupation.
In the summer of 2020, the Ladakh border standoff between India and China erupted following a clash of the Armies in the Pangong area.
The situation escalated after the Galwan Valley clashes in June of the same year.
Both the countries shave held 15 rounds of talks for disengagement to defuse the tensions in the area. As a result, India and China have disengaged their troops in the Gogra Heights area of eastern Ladakh.
The troops of the two sides also disengaged in the Pangong Lake area in February last year.
Meanwhile, after China constructed a bridge over the Pangong lake in Ladakh, a senior official of the Chushul region has claimed that it has now installed mobile towers near its side of the border.
Chushul Councillor Konchok Stanzin in a tweet flagged the issue and claimed that three mobile towers have been installed near China's hot spring very close to the Indian territory.
(With inputs from ANI)
