Indian troops prevented their Chinese counterparts from entering Indian territory on December 9 during a border skirmish that resulted in injuries on both sides, Indian defense minister Rajnath Singh told parliament on Tuesday. Beijing assured New Delhi that the situation in the border region was “stable” and urged New Delhi to “jointly maintain peace.”
The declarations follow a battle between the two sides in the Tawang region of India’s northeastern Himalayan state of Arunachal Pradesh, which shares a southern border with China and is also claimed by Beijing.
Singh stated that no Indian soldiers were killed or seriously injured in the incident.
“PLA troops sought to unilaterally alter the status quo by intruding on the Line of Actual Control in the Yangtse region of the Tawang sector,” stated Singh, referring to the People’s Liberation Army.
“Our soldiers met this Chinese attempt with resolve. In this face-off, a struggle ensued. The Indian Army courageously halted the PLA from invading our territory and forced them to retreat from their positions. During the conflict, soldiers from both sides were hurt.
Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for the foreign ministry in Beijing, stated that he thought the situation to be peaceful at this time, but he did not specify what transpired or whether Chinese troops were hurt.
As far as we can tell, the border situation between China and India is generally calm,” Wang said, adding that the two sides “kept the unimpeded conversation on the border issue through diplomatic and military channels.
He added, “It is hoped that India will go in the same direction as China, implement the key consensus reached by both leaders, strictly adhere to the spirit of the agreements and accords signed by both sides, and jointly preserve the peace and tranquility of the China-India border region.”
The conflict was the first between the two nations since June 2020, when Indian and Chinese troops engaged in a hand-to-hand battle in the Galwan Valley of Ladakh, which borders the Chinese-held Tibetan plateau.
This encounter resulted in the deaths of twenty Indian soldiers and four Chinese soldiers.
