China refutes claim, says India ‘ violated protocols’
Contradicting India’s stand that the Chinese People’s Liberation Army ( PLA) had carried out provocative military movements in an attempt to change the status quo at the southern bank of Pangong Tso Lake in the Ladakh sector both on Saturday night and on Monday, China on Tuesday lodged a protest and accused India of “grossly violating China’s territorial sovereignty, seriously violating relevant agreements, protocols ... and severely damaging peace and tranquillity” in the border areas on Monday, adding that it has “made solemn representations to the Indian side, urged the Indian side to strictly control and restrain its frontline troops, earnestly honour its commitments”. This came on a day when New Delhi said that even on Monday ( August 31) , “even as the ground commanders of the two sides were in discussions to de- escalate the situation, the Chinese troops again engaged in provocative action” ( for the second time since Saturday late night).
In a statement, the Chinese embassy in New Delhi said, “On August 31st, Indian troops violated the consensus reached in previous multilevel engagements and negotiations between China and India, illegally trespassed the LAC again at the southern bank of the Pangong Tso Lake and near the Reqin Pass in the western sector of China- India border, and conducted flagrant provocations, which again stirred tension in the border areas.”
Claiming that “what India has done runs counter to the efforts made by both sides for a period of time to ease and cool down the situation on the ground”, the Chinese embassy statement also accused Indian troops of “violating the consensus reached in previous multi- level engagements and negotiations between China and India”.