India accuses China of responsibility for border tensions
NEW DELHI (AP) — India on Friday rejected a Chinese allegation that it is responsible for high tensions along their disputed border.
Indian External Affairs Ministry spokesman Anurag Srivastava said the six-month standoff between the two countries' armies "has been a result of the actions of the Chinese side, which has sought to effect a unilateral change in the status along the Line of Actual Control in Eastern Ladakh.”
Srivastava was responding to a statement by Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying in Beijing on Thursday that "the rights and wrongs of what has happened in the China-India border area are very clear and the responsibility lies squarely with the Indian side.”
Hua also said that China is firmly committed to safeguarding its sovereignty. "We hope that India will work with China in the same direction and do more things conducive to solidarity, cooperation and common development,” she said.
The standoff between the Asian giants erupted into a fierce brawl in May and worsened into hand-to-hand combat on June 15 with soldiers using clubs, stones and fists, leaving 20 Indian troops dead. China is believed to also have suffered casualties, but has not given any details.
The countries have held a series of talks on ending the standoff without any breakthrough.
