Beijing plays down reports of troop face-offs as New Delhi stresses border peace is crucial to wider bilateral ties
China on Wednesday described the situation along its border with India as “generally stable”, amid reports of renewed military tensions in the Arunachal Pradesh sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).
Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Guo Jiakun said Beijing and New Delhi had maintained communication through diplomatic and military channels and were working to preserve peace and tranquillity along the frontier.
“The China-India border situation is generally stable at the moment,” Guo said at a media briefing. He was responding to questions about social media reports alleging increased Chinese military activity near Arunachal Pradesh.
His remarks came a day after India’s Ministry of External Affairs said the situation along the border has a direct bearing on the overall relationship between the two countries. MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said both sides had agreed to use diplomatic and military mechanisms to prevent “misunderstanding and miscalculation” along the LAC.
India has not officially confirmed details of the reported tensions. However, people familiar with the developments said problems emerged in the remote Taksing area of Arunachal Pradesh’s Upper Subansiri district in early July, with several face-offs reportedly taking place between Indian and Chinese troops.
Guo referred to the recent 36th meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on China-India Border Affairs, saying both sides had agreed to maintain communication.
Relations between the neighbours deteriorated sharply after the 2020 military confrontation in eastern Ladakh and the deadly Galwan Valley clash, in which 20 Indian soldiers and at least four Chinese troops were killed.
The latest developments come as India and China work to gradually rebuild bilateral ties while continuing to manage unresolved border differences.
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