The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) on Friday reiterated that India and China continue to address border-related issues through established diplomatic and military mechanisms, following reports of remarks by Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) Director General Shatrujeet Kapoor regarding face-offs with the Chinese People’s Liberation Army (PLA) in Arunachal Pradesh.
Responding to queries during its bi-weekly media briefing, the Official Spokesperson of MEA, Randhir Jaiswal said situations along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) can become strained when Chinese forces diverge from established patrolling patterns, but both sides remain engaged through institutional mechanisms to prevent escalation.
“As we have noted in the past, the situation in the India-China border areas gets disturbed from time to time when Chinese forces diverge from established patrolling patterns,” he said.
The MEA Spokesperson added that India and China continue to utilise existing diplomatic and military channels to resolve outstanding issues and avoid misunderstandings or miscalculations along the LAC.
He further noted that both countries have agreed to discuss measures aimed at improving mutual understanding of the LAC in certain areas to enhance border management.
The MEA emphasized that maintaining peace and tranquillity in border regions is essential for the overall development of bilateral relations between the two Asian neighbours.
The clarification comes amid a political controversy triggered by reports citing the ITBP chief’s remarks on continuing PLA face-offs in Arunachal Pradesh.
Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge questioned the government’s handling of the border situation and sought greater transparency from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
Referring to reports of Chinese incursions and recent military-level engagements, Kharge asked whether India’s patrolling access in some sectors had been affected and called on the government to place the facts before Parliament.
He also questioned the outcomes of multiple diplomatic engagements between the two countries since 2020, including talks between Special Representatives, meetings under the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination (WMCC), and interactions between the leadership of the two nations.
The controversy has resurfaced amid continuing efforts by New Delhi and Beijing to stabilise relations after years of military tensions along the LAC.
Notably, the 25th round of Special Representatives’ talks on the India-China boundary question was held in Beijing on August 25.
During the meeting, both sides reaffirmed their commitment to maintaining peace and tranquillity in border areas and creating conditions for the steady development of bilateral relations.
The two countries also reiterated their commitment to advancing negotiations on a framework for resolving the long-pending boundary dispute and agreed to address any emerging situation on the ground through established diplomatic and military communication channels, including local commander-level meetings and the WMCC mechanism.
The MEA’s remarks indicate that while localized friction and face-offs along the India-China frontier continue to occur, New Delhi’s official position remains that existing military and diplomatic mechanisms are functioning to manage tensions, prevent escalation, and maintain stability along the LAC even as the broader boundary dispute remains unresolved.
