China rejects Trump’s offer to ‘mediate’ in standoff

CHINA rejected US president Donald Trump’s offer to ‘mediate’ between India and China to end their border standoff, saying the two countries are capable of properly resolving their differences through dialogue and did not require the help of a ‘third party.’

In a surprise move, Trump offered to ‘mediate or arbitrate’ the raging border dispute between India and China, saying he was ‘ready, willing and able’ to ease tensions, amid the continuing standoff between the armies of the two Asian giants.

Reacting for the first time to the US president’s offer, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said, the two countries did not want the ‘intervention’ from a third party to resolve the current military standoff.

‘Between China and India we have existing border-related mechanisms and communication channels’, Zhao told a media briefing here when asked about Trump’s offer.

‘We are capable of properly resolving the issues between us through dialogue and consultation. We do not need the intervention of the third party’, he said.

‘We have informed both India and China that the United States is ready, willing and able to mediate or arbitrate their now raging border dispute. Thank you!’ Trump tweeted on Wednesday.

He reiterated his offer on Thursday while speaking to reporters at the White House.

Responding to a question on his tweet, Trump renewed his offer, saying if called for help, ‘I would do that (mediate). If they thought it would help’ about ‘mediate or arbitrate, I would do that,’ he said.

India on Wednesday said it was engaged with China to peacefully resolve the border row, in a carefully crafted reaction to Trump’s offer to arbitrate between the two Asian giants to settle their decades-old dispute.