Cannot lose an inch of territory: China after meeting Rajnath Singh
New Delhi : Chinese government on Saturday morning blamed India of escalating the border tension across Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh and claimed that China will not lose an inch of its territory.
India responded shortly after the comment was made and the Defence Ministry noted that that China's actions, including the "amassing of large number of troops... aggressive behaviour and attempts to unilaterally alter the status quo", were in violation of bilateral agreements.
"Causes and truth of the current tension on the China-India border are clear, and the responsibility entirely lies with India. China cannot lose an inch of its territory, and its armed forces are fully determined, capable and confident in safeguarding national sovereignty and territorial integrity," the Chinese said in their statement.
"The two sides should continue their discussions, including through diplomatic and military channels, to ensure complete disengagement and de-escalation and full restoration of peace and tranquillity along the LAC at the earliest," the ministry said.
The statements from both the sides came hours after a high level meeting was held between Rajnath Singh and his Chinese counterpart on the sidelines of SCO in Moscow.
In a pointed message before his meeting with the Chinese defence minister - on the sidelines of a regional summit on security and defence issues - Rajnath Singh said peace and security demanded a climate of trust, non-aggression and respect for international rules.
The Indian Army this week said it had blocked Chinese troops carrying out "provocative military movements" in the Pangong Tso Lake region of Ladakh. The Army described these movements as the most serious since June.
