Riyaz ul Khaliq

ANKARA

China reiterated that recent clashes with the Indian military had occurred on the Beijing side of the border in the disputed Jammu and Kashmir region.

At a press conference in Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said that “the incident clearly took place on Chinese territory and the Indian side should be held accountable.”

Earlier, on Tuesday, India confirmed that at least 20 of its soldiers were killed in clashes in the Galwan Valley in Ladakh.

The border clashes began in Ladakh on May 5, then continued at the Nakula Pass in Sikkim province and three days later in northeast India.

“However, at present, China and India continue to communicate through diplomatic and military channels to resolve this issue,” Zhao said.

This is the first time since 1975 that there has been a military clash between China and India on their border.

Following the incident, spokesman for the commander of the Chinese People's Liberation Army, Zhang Shuili, called on India to stop all provocative actions and settle the dispute through negotiations.

The border dispute between the two countries lasted more than seven decades.

China claims territory in northeastern India, while New Delhi accuses Beijing of occupying its territory on the Aksai Chin Plateau in the Himalayas, which is part of the Ladakh region.

– The UN is concerned

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also expressed his concern and called on both parties to “exercise restraint” to prevent an escalation of the conflict.

“We are concerned about the clashes and casualties along the Line of Control between India and China. We welcome the fact that the two countries continue to work towards a resolution of the conflict,” said Eri Kaneko, spokeswoman for the UN Secretary-General.

– The US continues to monitor

Meanwhile, the United States is committed to continuing to monitor developments in this matter and hopes that the dispute between the two countries can be resolved peacefully.

“We continue to monitor the situation along the Line of Control,” a US State Department spokesman said.

Pakistan, a close ally of China, expressed its stance on the conflict.

“China is trying its best to resolve the border dispute through negotiations. However, India does not seem to be showing the same spirit,” Pakistani Foreign Minister Shah Mehmood Qureshi said in a statement released on Wednesday.

“Instead of negotiating, they continued development activities in the disputed area, thereby triggering this conflict.”

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