New Delhi: The Chinese military on Tuesday claimed that Indian troops "illegally crossed" the border in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tawang sector on December 9, leading to clashes between the two neighbours.
Wang Xiaojian, Spokesperson of Chinese Embassy in India, tweeted the statement by PLA Western Theater Command. "On December 9, border troops of Western Theater Command organized a routine patrol on Chinese side of Line of Actual Control in Dongzhang area, eastern section of China-India boundary, were impeded by Indian troops who illegally crossed LAC," read the tweet.
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"The Chinese side responded in professional, standard & effective manner, controlled & stabilized situation on the ground. 2 sides have disengaged. We urge the Indian side to strictly restrain its front-line troops & work with Chinese side to maintain peace & tranquility in the border areas. The statement from Chinese military came hours after Defence Minister Rajnath Singh accused China of trying to “unilaterally change the status quo” on the border.
“The ensuing face-off led to a physical scuffle in which the Indian Army bravely prevented the PLA [People’s Liberation Army] from transgressing into our territory and compelled them to return to their posts,” Rajnath told Parliament. Singh said the clash led to “injuries to a few personnel on both sides” but that there were no “serious casualties on our side”.
