China, India accuse each other of border moves, firing shots

BEIJING (AP) - Despite talks on easing rising tensions, India and China on Tuesday accused each other of carrying out provocative military moves and firing warning shots at their disputed border.

China said Indian forces crossed into its occupied territory on Monday and fired warning shots at a Chinese patrol in violation of its agreements. India denied the allegations, saying Chinese troops tried to surround one of its outposts in "extreme provocation" and fired warning shots.

China called it the first exchange between the two countries in 45 years.

Nuclear-armed rivals have been engaged in a tense break in the cold desert region of Ladakh since May, and their defense ministers met in Moscow on Friday for the first time since the start of the stalemate. Of

China's Western Military Command said the attack took place on Monday in an area off the southern Chinese coast of Lake Pyongyang, known in China as Shen Paushan and in India as Choshul. Local military commanders of the two countries have held several rounds of talks to defuse tensions.

A statement from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a statement that the Chinese military had taken "necessary steps" to stabilize the situation and bring it under control. He called on the Indian forces to withdraw and investigate the exchange of fire.

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Xiao Lijian reiterated that Indian troops were the first to fire. He said that despite the escalating pattern of recent clashes, the exchange of fire between the two sides was the first since 1975.

"We, the Chinese side, have repeatedly insisted that the two sides resolve their differences peacefully through mutual dialogue and consultation," he said. "The conflict will not benefit either side," Xiao told reporters in a daily briefing.

Indian military spokesman Col. Aman Anand said China was continuing its provocative activities to escalate tensions, calling the Chinese military's statement an attempt to mislead domestic and international audiences.

Anand said that when the Chinese troops tried to surround the Indian military post and the Indian troops "disappointed" them, they fired some shots in the air. He said the Indian troops "showed great patience."

He accused the Chinese military of "blatantly violating agreements and using aggressive tactics while engaging in military, diplomatic and political engagement."

There were no reports of casualties on either side.

Late last month, India said its troops had thwarted Chinese military efforts to "change the status quo" by violating consensus in past efforts to end the standoff. As a result, China accused Indian troops of crossing the Line of Control.

Last month and Monday, the activities were alleged to have taken place on the southern shore of Lake Pyongyang, an icy lake divided by the de facto frontier and where the Indo-China confrontation took place in early May on its northern part. It happened.

The conflict escalated into a nighttime clash on June 15, the deadliest in 45 years. According to Indian officials, Chinese troops pelted stones at a square at the mouth of the narrow Galvan in the valley, punched and threw Indian troops down to a level of about 4,500 meters (15,000 feet). India says 20 of its soldiers were killed, including a colonel. China did not report any casualties.

The disputed and immovable border between India and China, known as the Line of Actual Control, stretches from the region of Ladakh in the west to the Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh in the east. China also claims all of Arunachal Pradesh as its territory.

The Asian giants fought a border war in 1962 which spread to Ladakh and ended in a restless war. They have been trying to resolve their border dispute without success since the early 1990s.

India unilaterally declared Ladakh a federal territory and in August 2019 abolished its semi-autonomous status and separated it from disputed Kashmir. The move further strained relations between New Delhi and Beijing, which raised the issue in international forums, including the US Security Council.

In a symbolic move amid rising tensions, India has cited privacy concerns as a threat to India's sovereignty and security.