China Asks India Not to Underestimate its Will

NEW DELHI/BEIJING:
A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi warned China against aggression, Beijing asked New Delhi not to “misjudge” the situation or “underestimate” its will. China even went a step further alleging India of breaking consensus and “deliberately provoking”.

Even as China”s President Xi Jinping has remained tight-lipped about the escalation of tensions between India and China, especially after the killing of 20 Indian soldiers in a violent stand-off between the two sides at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, Beijing”s spokesperson took to social media to respond to India”s warning.

In a couple of tweets, Foreign Ministry spokesperson of China, Hua Chunying said, “India must not misjudge the current situation or underestimate China”s firm will to safeguard its territorial sovereignty.” China has been laying claim over Galwan valley in the union territory of Ladakh.

Hua also repeated that “Indian front-line broke the consensus and crossed the Line of Actual Control, deliberately provoking and attacking Chinese officers and soldiers, thus triggering fierce physical conflicts and causing casualties”. The statement on Twitter came while Indian and Chinese militaries are holding talks about the confrontation in Ladakh.

India”s Foreign Minister S. Jaishankar in a phone conversation with his Chinese counterpart on Wednesday had asked China to “reassess its actions and take corrective steps” in view of the “unprecedented” violence along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh. Jaishankar had also accused China of taking “pre-meditated and planned action that was directly responsible for the resulting violence and casualties”.