Ties with China Have Not Worsened amid Border Standoff, MEA Says in Written Reply in Lok Sabha

The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) in a written reply in the Lok Sabha on Wednesday said that ties with China have not worsened in the aftermath of the border tensions caused by the Galwan Valley clashes in eastern Ladakh in June. The government was replying to a question from Trinamool MP Sougata Roy.

The relationship between both countries has steadily deteriorated since May, when China ramped up troops along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh, leading to the clashes in Galwan in which 20 Indian Army personnel died. India, meanwhile, has banned hundreds of mobile apps linked to China, hoping to hit its neighbour with an economic blow.

Earlier, the Ministry of Home Affairs told the Rajya Sabha that no infiltration had taken place along the Indo-China Border in six months even as the standoff between the two countries continues in Ladakh.

Speaking in the Lok Sabha on Tuesday, Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had said the government has conveyed to China that any attempt to “unilaterally” change the status quo along the LAC is not at all acceptable, while acknowledging that India is facing a “challenge” in the region.

Singh had said there should be no doubt about the country’s determination to protect its sovereignty and territorial integrity, and asserted that India’s armed forces are ready to deal with “all contingencies” in the high-altitude region.

Referring to the Galwan Valley clashes on June 15, Singh had said Indian soldiers “inflicted costs including casualties on the Chinese side”, adding the House should have “full confidence” that the armed forces will always rise to the challenge and make the country proud.

“I will not hesitate to share with this august House that we are facing a challenge in Ladakh and I urge the House to pass a resolution in support of our armed forces who have been defending our motherland at great heights and most inclement weather conditions,” he had said, adding that although the situation this year is very different, both in terms of scale of troops involved and the number of friction points, India remains committed to the peaceful resolution of the current situation.