Chinese Defense Ministry blames India for border clash: it 'unilaterally' violates consensus
Wu Qian, spokesperson for the Chinese Ministry of National Defense, briefs the media on June 24, 2020.
China's Defense Ministry said a recent border clash between China and India was "completely caused by the Indian side's violation of consensus and unilateral provocation," and called on efforts to jointly safeguard border stability.
Ministry officials from both sides had agreed to take concrete steps to ease the tension in the China-controlled Galwan Valley during a meeting on June 6 but the Indian soldiers unilaterally violated the consensus, the ministry's spokesman Wu Qian said at a monthly briefing in Beijing on Wednesday when asked about the clash on June 15.
"The incident was entirely caused by Indian's violation of consensus and its unilateral provocation, and it happened in China-controlled territory. The responsibility rests entirely with the Indian side."
Wu said Beijing had told the Indian side to severely punish the ones responsible for such action and discipline border troops to make sure such incident would not happen again.
The Galwan Valley is located on the Chinese side, and the Chinese border troops have been patrolling and on duty in this region for many years, Wu noted.
Since April, the Indian border troops have unilaterally and continuously built roads, bridges and other facilities in the Galwan Valley and blocked Chinese troops' patrol, and attempted to unilaterally change the status of the border control, he continued.
China has actively engaged in negotiations with the Indian side to cool down the tension but its border troops violated the agreement made on June 6 and caused the escalation on June 15, Wu said.
On Monday, military officials from both sides had an in-depth and candid exchange of views on outstanding issues in border management and control and agreed to take necessary measures to alleviate the tension, Wu noted.
He called on efforts from both sides to safeguard the peace and stability in the area.
Wu said China and India are neighbors and keeping peace and stability in the border area fits in the interests of both sides, and both sides should keep up dialogue and work together for peace and tranquility on the ground along the border.
