India-China Chinese Army asks India to withdraw troops 'illegally crossing' LAC
New Delhi/Beijing: Amid growing tension, the Chinese military on Monday said the Indian troops have 'violated the consensus reached at the multi-level talks between India and China and again crossed the line of actual control (LAC) at the border' and purposely launched provocations.
"China strongly opposes the acts and urges India to immediately withdraw the troops that have illegally crossed the LAC," Chinese People's Liberation Army (PLA) Western Theater Command spokesperson Senior Colonel Zhang Shuili told Global Times.
"Chinese troops are taking necessary measures in response to Indian troops' provocations and will closely follow the situation and resolutely safeguard national sovereignty, peace and stability at the border area," the spokesperson said.
India's Reaction:
In a fresh attempt to change the status-quo at the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Chinese troops have carried out provocative military movements at Pangong Tso in eastern Ladakh to only get thwarted by India, the country's Defence Ministry said on Monday.
The Indian Defence Ministry said the incident happened on the 'night of 29/30 August 2020'.
"PLA troops violated the previous consensus arrived at during military and diplomatic engagements during the ongoing standoff in Eastern Ladakh and carried out provocative military movements to change the status quo," read the official statement.
"Indian troops pre-empted this PLA activity on the Southern Bank of Pangong Tso Lake, undertook measures to strengthen our positions and thwart Chinese intentions to unilaterally change facts on ground," it said.
Indian Army spokesperson Aman Anand said a Brigadier Commander-level meeting is underway at Chushul to diffuse the tension.
This is the first attempt by China to trespass at the LAC since the deadly border clash took place between soldiers of the two Asian giants at the Galwan Valley in eastern Ladakh on Jun 15 night.
In the first deadly clash, in a time span of over 40 years, at least 20 Indian personnel were martyred.
Though China did not disclose the casualties on its side, unconfirmed reports claimed at least 45 Chinese personnel were killed in a befitting reply by the Indian soldiers.
The formal process of disengagement of troops began on Jul 6, following a two-hour-long meeting between India's National Security Adviser Ajit Doval and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi.
Even before the deadly clash on Jun 15, an agreement of disengagement of troops was finalised in the first round of Corp commander-level talks, which took place on 6th of the same month.
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