Beijing: Amid reports of Chinese border
incursions and cross-border firing, China on Tuesday said that it
was "strictly" abiding by the "consensus" reached with India
to maintain peace along the disputed boundary.
"The Chinese and Indian governments have reached
consensus on border issues -- that is the two sides will
jointly strive to safeguard peace in the region before final
settlement," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Jiang Yu
said at a biweekly press briefing.
"China has always strictly abided by the consensus,"
she said.
Responding to a query on a report that two Indo-Tibetan
Border Police (ITBP) personnel were injured by bullets
fired from the Chinese side along the Line of Actual Control
(LAC) in Sikkim two weeks ago, Jiang said "I have replied to
this question earlier. For more details, you may contact the
concerned department."
At the same time, she said that some Indian media
outlets were releasing "inaccurate information."
"It`s hard to understand some Indian media`s purpose
when they publish reports that are not accurate," she said
and hoped that the Indian media will do more to contribute to
improvement of Sino-Indian relations.
At the latest round of boundary talks in August, China
and India agreed the two countries should push forward the
talks process and seek a just and fair formula to solve
problems acceptable to both sides.
Last week, China had brushed aside reports of its
border guards having intruded into Ladakh and painted boulders
and rocks red there.
At that time, Jiang had dismissed the reports of border
intrusions as "groundless and incorrect."
India says China is illegally occupying 43,180 sq kms
of Jammu and Kashmir, including 5,180 sq km illegally ceded to
Beijing by Islamabad under the Sino-Pakistan boundary
agreement in 1963. China accuses India of possessing some
90,000 sq km of Chinese territory, mostly in Arunachal
Pradesh.
Meanwhile, against the backdrop of
reports about Chinese incursions, a Parliamentary Standing
Committee has decided to take up the issue for a detailed
examination.
The Parliamentary Standing Committee on External Affairs,
which also looks into the Ministry of Overseas Indian Affairs,
will also scrutinise the racist violence in foreign countries,
an issue that has been exercising India in the wake of attack
on Indian students in Australia.
The Committee will examine India`s relationship with
China with special reference to recent border violations, a
Lok Sabha bulletin said.
India`s role in rehabilitation of Tamils in Sri Lanka,
its relations with SAARC countries with special reference to
national security and trade relations, its engagement with
global actors on the issue of climate change are the other
issues that have been selected by the Committee for
examination.
The Committee would also look into India`s Look East
policy with special reference to Japan and its role as soft
power in maintaining good relations with other countries, the
bulletin said.
Besides the issue of racist violence against Indians in
foreign countries, the Committee, as part of Overseas Indian
Affairs Ministry, would examine the issues of welfare scheme
for Indian workers going abroad and engagement of Indian
Diaspora in Gulf region.
Bureau Report
