China says India violating territorial sovereignty and disturbing peace

Contradicting India’s stand that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) had carried out provocative military movements in an attempt to change the status quo at the Southern Bank of Pangong Tso Lake in the Ladakh sector both on Saturday night and on Monday, China on Tuesday lodged a protest and accused India of “grossly violating China's territorial sovereignty, seriously violating relevant agreements, protocols ... and severely damaging peace and tranquillity” in the border areas on Monday, adding that it has “made solemn representations to the Indian side, urged the Indian side to strictly control and restrain its frontline troops, earnestly honour its commitments”.

This came on a day when New Delhi said that even on Monday (August 31), “even as the ground commanders of the two sides were in discussions to de-escalate the situation, the Chinese troops again engaged in provocative action” (for the second time since Saturday late night).  

In a statement, the Chinese Embassy in New Delhi said, “On August 31st, Indian troops violated the consensus reached in previous multi-level engagements and negotiations between China and India, illegally trespassed the LAC again at the southern bank of the Pangong Tso Lake and near the Reqin Pass in the western sector of China-India border, and conducted flagrant provocations, which again stirred tension in the border areas.”

Claiming that “what India has done runs counter to the efforts made by both sides for a period of time to ease and cool down the situation on the ground”, the Chinese Embassy statement also accused Indian troops of “violating the consensus reached in previous multi-level engagements and negotiations between China and India, illegally trespassing the Line of Actual Control (LAC) again at the southern bank of the Pangong Tso Lake and near the Reqin Pass ... and conducting flagrant provocations”, adding that this “again stirred tension in the border areas”.

China claimed it “has made solemn representations to the Indian side, urged the Indian side to strictly control and restrain its frontline troops, earnestly honour its commitments, immediately stop all the provocative actions, immediately withdraw its troops illegally trespassing the LAC, and immediately stop any actions leading to the escalation and complication of the situation”.

The Chinese Embassy added, “India’s move has grossly violated China's territorial sovereignty, seriously violated relevant agreements, protocols and important consensus reached between the two countries, and severely damaged peace and tranquility along the China-India border areas. What India has done runs counter to the efforts made by both sides for a period of time to ease and cool down the situation on the ground, and China is resolutely opposed to this.”

The Chinese side however, violated this understanding and engaged in provocative military maneuvers in the late night of 29th and on 30th August in an attempt to change the status quo in the South Bank area of Pangong Lake.

As stated by Indian Army, the Indian side responded to these provocative actions and took appropriate defensive measures along the LAC in order to safeguard our interests and defend the territorial integrity.

Furthermore, on 31st August, even as the ground commanders of the two sides were in discussions to de-escalate the situation, the Chinese troops again engaged in provocative action. Due to the timely defensive action, the Indian side was able to prevent these attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo.