China says its troops did not cross control line with India

Chinese border troops have always patrolled the Chinese side of the line of control on the China-India border, the Chinese Foreign Ministry said on Wednesday in response to a recent altercation between the two sides.

According to media reports, Chinese and Indian soldiers shouted and threw stones at each other in Ladakh, a disputed area between China, Pakistan and India in southeastern Kashmir on Tuesday.

Hua Chunying, a spokesperson of Chinese Foreign Ministry, speaks at a regular briefing in Beijing, August 16, 2017.

Speaking at a press conference, Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying said she was not aware of the latest reports, but said that "Chinese border troops are always committed to maintaining peace on the China-India border and always patrol along the Chinese line of control."

"We urge the Indian side to abide by the line of control agreed upon in 1959 as well as relevant regulations and conventions between the two sides, and to earnestly safeguard peace and stability in the border area," she said.

She also urged India to immediately withdraw all troops and equipment from Chinese territory.

"This is the foundation and prerequisite to the solution to this incident," Hua said.

On June 18, more than 270 Indian troops, carrying weapons and driving two bulldozers, crossed the boundary at the Sikkim sector and advanced more than 100 meters into Chinese territory to block construction of a road.

Indian troops on Chinese territory have numbered as many as 400 at times.

As of the end of July, there were still more than 40 Indian border troops and one bulldozer on the Chinese side of the border.

(ASIA PACIFIC DAILY)