Indian defense minister Rajnath Singh told parliament on Tuesday that Indian troops prevented their Chinese counterparts from entering Indian territory on December 9 during a border scuffle that injured both sides. Beijing assured New Delhi that the situation was “stable” in the border region and urged New Delhi to “together uphold peace.”
The statements come after a fight in the Tawang sector of Arunachal Pradesh, a northeastern Himalayan state in India that borders China to the south and is also claimed by Beijing.
According to Singh, the incident did not result in any fatalities or serious injuries to Indian troops.
Singh referred to the People’s Liberation Army, saying, “PLA troops attempted to unilaterally change the status quo by encroaching on the Line of Actual Control, in the Yangtse area of Tawang sector.”
“Our army stood firm against China’s attempt. This face-off ended in a fight. The brave Indian Army forced the PLA to retreat to their posts and prevented them from invading our territory. The skirmish resulted in the injuries of some soldiers from both sides.
"Indian troops prevented their Chinese counterparts from entering Indian territory on Dec. 9, leading to a scuffle that led to injuries on both sides", India’s defence minister.#IndiaChinaClash #IndiaChinaFaceOff #indiachinastandoff pic.twitter.com/yEpBzdRTsl
Wang Wenbin, the spokesman for the foreign ministry, stated in Beijing that he believed the situation was now calm. However, he did not provide any specifics regarding what took place or whether any Chinese troops were injured.
According to Wang, “as far as we understand, the situation on the border between China and India is stable overall” and the two sides “maintained unobstructed dialogue on the border issue through diplomatic and military channels,”
He continued: It is hoped that India will move in the same direction as China, fully implement the significant agreement reached by both leaders, strictly adhere to the spirit of the agreements signed by both sides, and jointly uphold the peace and tranquility of the border region between China and India.
Indian and Chinese troops engaged in deadly hand-to-hand combat in the Galwan Valley of Ladakh, which borders the Chinese-held Tibetan plateau, in June 2020. This was the first battle between the two nations.
Twenty Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers perished as a result of the incident.
Source: AFP/Reuters
