VK Singh’s remark on border ‘unwitting confession’: China

Indian minister VK Singh’s statement that India has transgressed the Line of Actual Control (LAC) more times than China is an “unwitting confession”, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Monday.

Singh, who is the minister of state for transport and highways and a former four-star general, was quoted as saying on Sunday that both countries have crossed their perceptions of the undemarcated LAC many times.

“…none of you come to know how many times we have transgressed as per our perception. Chinese media does not cover it,” Singh said, according to The Hindu newspaper.

“Let me assure you, if China has transgressed 10 times, we must have done it at least 50 times,” he was quoted as saying.

The Chinese foreign ministry

BEIJING:

was asked to comment on Singh’s statement after the regular press briefing was over.

According to the statement published on the foreign ministry website, spokesperson Wang Wenbin was quick to latch on to it, and blame India for the ongoing border conflict along the LAC in eastern Ladakh. It is the root cause of the tension, he said.

“This is an unwitting confession by the Indian side. For a long time, the Indian side has conducted frequent acts of trespass in the border area in an attempt to encroach on China’s territory and constantly created disputes and frictions, which is the root cause of the tensions at the China-india border,” he said.

“We urge the Indian side to follow through on the consensus, agreements and treaties it reached with China, and uphold peace and stability... with concrete actions,” he added.

There was no immediate response from Indian officials to the Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson’s comments.

The Indian government has repeatedly said that China’s People’s Liberation Army troops were the first to provoke, transgress across the LAC and, subsequently, not ready to disengage.

External affairs ministry spokesperson Anurag Srivastava had earlier spelt out the India’s position, saying the LAC “must be strictly respected and observed as this is the basis for peace and tranquility in the border areas”.

AFTER VK SINGH’S COMMENT, CHINA SPOKESPERSON BLAMED INDIA FOR THE ONGOING BORDER CONFLICT ALONG THE LAC