Asia

New Delhi Rejects 'Exaggerated' Chinese Sovereignty Claims Over Galwan Valley

MOSCOW (Sputnik) - Spokesman for India’s Ministry of External Affairs, Anurag Srivastava, rejected what he called “exaggerated and untenable” Chinese claims of sovereignty over the Galwan Valley, which saw Indian and Chinese border troops engage in the deadliest confrontation in nearly 60 years.
Sputnik
"The position with regard to the Galwan Valley area has been historically clear. Attempts by the Chinese side now to advance exaggerated and untenable claims with regard to Line of Actual Control there are not acceptable. They are not in accordance with China’s own position in the past,” Srivastava said.

The spokesperson went on to explain that Indian troops are familiar with the layout of the LAC and have strictly kept to its Indian side.

"Indian troops are fully familiar with the alignment of the LAC in all sectors of the India-China border areas, including in the Galwan Valley. They abide by it scrupulously here, as they do elsewhere. The Indian side has never undertaken any actions across the LAC. In fact, they have been patrolling this area for a long time without any incident. All infrastructure built by the Indian side is naturally on its own side of the LAC,” Srivastava said.

A day prior, Chinese Foreign Ministry Spokesman Zhao Lijian told reporters that the valley lies on the Chinese side of the Line of Actual Control (LAC) and was subject to regular Chinese patrols.

The violent showdown in the valley resulted in the death of 20 Indian soldiers and an unknown number from the Chinese side, triggering a deep diplomatic crisis between the two nuclear powers.

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