Expect China to match its words with actions: India on LAC standoff

India on Friday said the military standoff in eastern Ladakh in the last six months has been a result of the actions by China which sought to effect a "unilateral change" in the status along the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

New Delhi:India on Friday said that it expects Chinese side will "match its words with actions" after Beijing said that it strictly observes agreements between two sides and is committed to resolving border issue through dialogue.

Ministry of External Affairs spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said during a weekly briefing that the Chinese actions are in violation of the bilateral agreements and protocol on ensuring peace and tranquillity along Line of Actual Control in India-China border areas.

"We have taken note of the Chinese side's statement that it observes strictly agreements between two sides and is committed to resolving border issue through dialogue and safeguarding peace and tranquillity in border areas. We expect that the Chinese side will match its words with actions," Srivastava said.

"These actions are in violation of the bilateral agreements and protocol on ensuring peace and tranquillity along LAC in India-China border areas. The core issues, as I mentioned last week remains that both sides need to strictly follow various bilateral agreements and protocols," he added.

Srivastava said that the situation that "we have seen since last six months has been a result of the actions of Chinese side which has sought to effect a unilateral change in status along LAC in Eastern Ladakh".

External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar had said on Wednesday that India-China ties have been "very significantly damaged" by Beijing's violation of agreements on maintaining peace and tranquillity on the LAC, adding that China has offered "five differing explanations" for its deployment of thousands of soldiers on the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

(ANI)