Always operate on the Chinese side of the LAC: China MoFA

Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Geng Shuang has refuted claims of intrusion by its troops into the Indian territory near the state of Uttarakhand, saying that the troops have always operated on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

At a press conference on Thursday, when asked about Indian media claims of Chinese troops crossing LAC thrice in a month into the country's "Uttarakhand" state, the farthest one reaching 4 km into the "territory", Shuang said that Chinese military was carrying out the routine patrol on the Chinese side.

He further said that India and China have a mechanism of communication and meeting, and these issues could be resolved through it. "President Xi Jinping and Prime Minister Modi have met several times recently, during which important consensus was reached on properly managing differences and disputes and jointly maintaining peace and tranquility of the border areas. China and India also have well-established communication and meeting mechanism for border-related affairs," he said.

He asserted that resorting to the media to heat things up will not help control disputes.

"Our two countries should work in concert to earnestly implement the instructions of our leaders and uphold peace and tranquility of the border areas," he stated.

As per sources, China's People Liberation Army (PLA) transgressed the LAC at least three times last month in Uttarakhand.

Speaking on transgressions along the LAC by the PLA, General Officer Commanding-in-Chief (GOC) Northern Command, Lt Gen Ranbir Singh earlier this year said, it "took place in areas where we have different perception of the Line of Actual Control," adding that India and China have well-established mechanisms, especially at the highest level, where special representatives from both the countries discuss issues related to the resolution of the boundary dispute.

LAC is a 4,057-km porous border between India and China and runs through glaciers, snow deserts, mountains and rivers.