‘GOT NO INFO ON MISSING SUKHOI, INDIA SHOULDN’T DISTURB PEACE’

China on Wednesday said it has no information about the Sukhoi-30 combat jet of the Indian Air Force that went missing near the China-India border, adding that New Delhi should avoid disturbing the stability of the region.

The aircraft with two pilots on board went missing near the border on Tuesday after taking off from Tezpur airbase in Assam.

Asked whether China would help in locating the aircraft, foreign ministry spokesperson Lu Kang said his country hoped India would not disturb peace near the eastern border.

“As for the situation you mentioned, I have no relevant information to offer at the moment,” he said about the missing jet.

China claims Arunachal Pradesh as south Tibet and relations between the two countries took a hit when Tibetan spiritual leader Dalai Lama visited the state in April.

The IAF’s decision to deploy frontline aircraft such as the Su-30 at forward bases in northeastern states has also caused disquiet in Beijing. Lu told a regular foreign ministry news briefing: “First of all, on the eastern section of China-India border, our position is consistent and clear. We have been following the situation in south Tibet very closely. We hope India can stick to arrangements between two sides and avoid disturbing peace and stability in border areas.”

India accuses China of occupying 38,000 sq km in Jammu and Kashmir while Beijing claims about 90,000 sq km in Arunachal Pradesh.

Following the Dalai Lama’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh, China unilaterally renamed six places in the state in what appeared to be a retaliatory move.

The names were changed to show to India the “sovereignty” of the region, the Chinese state media reported. On several occasions, the state media has also warned India of consequences for allowing the Dalai Lama to visit the “disputed area”.

Meanwhile, search for the plane continued on Wednesday, a defence spokesman said.

Search operations were on in the areas where the plane lost contact with the Tezpur Salonibari Air Force station from where it took off at 10.30am on Tuesday, defence spokesman Lt Col Sombit Ghosh of the Army’s 4 Corps said.

The fighter plane had taken off from Salonibari IAF station in Tezpur town in Sonitpur district on a routine training mission and lost contact approximately 60 km north of Tezpur.

THE FIGHTER PLANE LOST CONTACT WITH THE TEZPUR SALONIBARI AIR FORCE STATION FROM WHERE IT TOOK OFF AT 10.30 AM ON TUESDAY