Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday spoke at the country's parliament on China's territorial claims in the disputed region of Ladakh and accused Beijing of the illegal occupation of the territories there
NEW DELHI (Pakistan Point News / Sputnik - 17th September, 2020) Indian Defense Minister Rajnath Singh on Thursday spoke at the country's parliament on China's territorial claims in the disputed region of Ladakh and accused Beijing of the illegal occupation of the territories there.
"China continues to illegally occupy about 38,000 square kilometers [14,600 square miles] in the union territory of Ladakh. In addition, in accordance with the so-called Chinese-Pakistani border agreement of 1963, Pakistan illegally ceded 5,180 square kilometers of Indian territory in Kashmir. China also claims approximately 90,000 square kilometers of Indian territory in the eastern sector of the India-China border in Arunachal Pradesh," the minister said.
While answering lawmakers' questions, Singh noted that the clashes with China in the past few months were mainly related to border patrols in Ladakh.
According to Singh, China tried to change the status quo on the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh by conducting military maneuvers in late August. The minister added that India wants a peaceful solution to the border issue, but will not abandon any action necessary to protect the country's sovereignty.
Border conflicts are a permanent fixture of India-China relations, as the countries do not have a marked border but rather the Line of Actual Control, created after the 1962 war between the nations. However, the tensions became more strained as a result of skirmishes between the countries' border forces starting in May.
In order to normalize the situation, the commanders of the regional forces, as well as diplomats from both sides, conducted a series of negotiations. Nevertheless, tensions persist.
The Chinese and Indian defense ministers met in Moscow earlier in the month, agreeing on peaceful settlement of the issue.
