China denies army trespassed into India

Beijing, April 25 (IANS) China Thursday denied that its soldiers and aircraft had trespassed into India.

China's ministry of national defence Thursday denied that Chinese border troops and aircraft had trespassed across the Line of Actual Control between China and India.

The media reports on Chinese border troops, military planes and helicopters crossing the Line of Actual Control are "not true", said Yang Yujun, the ministry's spokesman, at a press conference here.

Chinese and Indian border troops are maintaining communications through existing channels, Xinhua quoted him as saying.

China's border troops have strictly observed relevant agreements between China and India and have been working to safeguard border peace, according to the spokesman.

According to reports in the Indian media, Chinese troops set up a post inside Indian territory, about 10 km from the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the de-facto border between India and China.

The Chinese post, set up on April 15, is being manned by almost 50 men round-the-clock.

India's External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid said Thursday in New Delhi that he would visit China May 9 and expressed confidence that the current stand-off between the troops of the two countries on the Line of Actual Control in Ladakh would be resolved.

Indian and Chinese military commanders had Tuesday held a flag meeting to resolve the stand-off.

India has asked China to maintain the status quo that existed before the intrusion.