China, India blame each other for Monday’s deadly clash
- ‘India should not make wrong calculations on the situation, and not underestimate China’s determination to maintain its territorial integrity,’ Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi says
- Chinese side ‘took premeditated and planned action that was directly responsible for the resulting violence and casualties’, India’s External Affairs Minister Subrahmanyam Jaishankar says
Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi on Wednesday accused Indian troops of provoking the border clashes on Monday that left at least 20 people dead, while New Delhi said Chinese soldiers were “directly responsible” for the aggression.
In the highest level communication since the deadliest conflict in the region for more than four decades, Wang told his Indian counterpart Subrahmanyam Jaishankar over the phone that the two sides should resolve their tensions through dialogue and keep the border safe, the Chinese foreign ministry quoted him as saying.
India’s external affairs ministry said Jaishankar conveyed Delhi’s protest against the fighting “in the strongest terms” and said the incident could have a “serious impact” on the countries’ relationship.
“The Chinese side took premeditated and planned action that was directly responsible for the resulting violence and casualties,” he was quoted as saying.
However, the two ministers agreed to handle the situation in a “responsible manner” and not escalate tensions any further.
The call was the latest move to de-escalate tensions after at least 20 Indian soldiers were killed in the clash in the Galwan River alley. China said its troops also suffered casualties but it has not released numbers.