Demonstrators hold signs during a protest against China, following a border scuffle at the Tawang sector of India鈥檚 northeastern Himalayan state of Arunachal Pradesh that led to injuries to soldiers on both sides, in Mumbai, India, December 13, 2022. REUTERS/Francis Mascarenhas
NEW DELHI 鈥� Indian troops prevented Chinese soldiers from entering Indian territory last week during a border scuffle that led to injuries on both sides, India鈥檚 defense minister said on Tuesday, in the first such clash since 2020 between the Asian giants.
The incident occurred on Dec. 9 in the Tawang sector of India鈥檚 northeastern Himalayan state of Arunachal Pradesh, which borders China鈥檚 south and is also claimed by Beijing.
The Indian troops 鈥渋llegally crossed the line to block鈥� a routine patrol of Chinese border troops, a spokesperson from the Western Theatre Command of China鈥檚 People鈥檚 Liberation Army (PLA) said on Tuesday.
鈥淲e urge the Indian side to strictly control and restrain the front-line troops, and work with China to maintain peace and security on the border,鈥� the spokesperson said.
An Indian defense source told Reuters patrolling teams from both sides came face-to-face at one of the peaks there and that in an ensuing hand-to-hand fight, some soldiers fell on the rocky surface and injured themselves. Two other sources said around half a dozen Indian soldiers suffered minor injuries.
The defense source said the un-demarcated border, called the Line of Actual Control (LAC), means soldiers from both sides cross over into each other鈥檚 territory every now and then. Such events are then raised in flag meetings so that they do not escalate.
鈥淪ometimes we perceive some areas as ours, sometimes they do,鈥� said the source, declining to be named as Defence Minister Rajnath Singh had already issued a statement in parliament about an attempt by the PLA to enter Indian territory.
鈥淭hese are skirmishes that keep happening, and they are not major. This was not major.鈥�
Singh told lawmakers the scuffle led to 鈥渋njuries to a few personnel on both sides鈥� but there were no 鈥渟erious casualties on our side鈥�.
鈥淧LA troops tried to transgress the LAC in Yangtse area of Tawang Sector and unilaterally change the status quo,鈥� Singh said.
鈥淭he Chinese attempt was contested by our troops in a firm and resolute manner. The ensuing face-off led to a physical scuffle in which the Indian Army bravely prevented the PLA from transgressing into our territory and compelled them to return to their posts.鈥�
Singh said the Chinese side was asked to refrain from such actions and that the issue had been taken up with China through diplomatic channels.
China鈥檚 foreign ministry spokesperson, Wang Wenbin, told a news conference the situation at the border was 鈥済enerally stable鈥�.
The US State Department said it was closely monitoring the situation. At a regular news briefing, its spokesperson Ned Price said India was an important strategic partner for Washington and the United States was 鈥済lad to hear that both sides appear to have quickly disengaged from the clashes.鈥�
鈥淲e do strongly oppose any unilateral attempts to advance territorial claims by incursions, military or civilian, across the border,鈥� he said, adding: 鈥淲e encourage India and China to utilize existing bilateral channels to discuss disputed boundaries.
The scuffle was the first since deadly clashes in June 2020 when Indian and Chinese troops were involved in hand-to-hand combat in the Galwan Valley of Ladakh, abutting the Chinese-held Tibetan plateau.
That incident led to the death of 20 Indian soldiers and four Chinese troops.
India鈥檚 foreign minister has said relations with China can not go back to normal without peace on the border. India has stepped up scrutiny of many Chinese companies operating in India in the past two years, though its imports from China have surged.
The un-demarcated 3,800 km (2,360 mile) frontier between the nuclear-armed Asian giants had stayed largely peaceful since a war in 1962 before the clashes two years ago sent relations nose-diving.