China stand-off will end soon, says India

new delhi — India’s home minister said on Monday he believed a border standoff with China would end soon, after new footage emerged showing border guards from both countries fighting on a disputed patch of land in the Himalayan region of Ladakh.

Indian and Chinese soldiers have for more than two months been facing off over a separate territorial dispute in the Doklam plateau, which India says is Bhutanese territory and which China claims for itself.

Some analysts have said the dispute amounts to the worst crisis in relations between the two nucleararmed neighbours for decades.

On Monday Home Minister Rajnath Singh said India wanted peaceful relations with its neighbours as he addressed a unit of border guards in the capital Delhi.

“A deadlock is going on between India and China in Doklam. But I think a solution will come out soon. China will also take a positive step from its side,” Singh said as he addressed the paramilitary Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP). “We want to maintain good relations with our neighbours. We don’t want conflict, we want peace.”

The ITBP guards India’s 3,488-kilometre border with China along the northern Himalayan mountain range. His comments came days after video emerged of soldiers from both sides appearing to kick and punch each other as rocks rained down on them in a disputed part of Ladakh last week.

Army sources confirmed to AFP on Monday that the video of the fighting on August 15 — India’s Independence Day — was authentic.

Asked to comment on the scuffle at a regular briefing on Monday, China’s foreign ministry spokeswoman said its border troops were carrying out “normal” patrols on the Chinese side.

“During this process, the Indian side took some violent actions, colliding with the Chinese personnel with their bodies and injuring the Chinese border personnel,” said Hua Chunying. —