India slams China's statement on Arunchal
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NEW DELHI (JULY 25):Hours after China said it does not recognise Arunachal Pradesh as part of India, New Delhi on Friday asserted that the Northeastern state is its "integral part", a spat that could cloud the new momentum in bilateral ties after Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's visit to Beijing.
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"The state of Arunachal Pradesh is an integral part of india," External Affairs Ministry spokesman told reporters when asked about remarks made earlier in the day in Beijing by his Chinese counterpart.
The Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Kong Quan while denying a report published in a Delhi newspaper that Chinese forces had transgressed into Indian territory near the LAC when Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee was visiting Beijing, said China does not recognise that Arunachal Pradesh is part of India.
Kong said they had found the "Indian side crossed the eastern sector of the Line of Actual Control (LAC). At the request of the Chinese side, the Indian people who crossed the LAC, returned to the Indian side of the LAC".
The MEA spokesman said, "We have made our position on the incident clear yesterday".
India has taken up the issue of Chinese "transgression" through diplomatic channels with Beijing, !
the spokesman had said on Thursday.
In the Lok Sabha on Friday, External Affairs Minister Yashwant Sinha said "a response from the Chinese side is awaited".
"Government is aware of the transgression of the LAC by a Chinese patrol on June 26, 2003 in the Asaphila area of the upper Subansiri district of Arunachal Pradesh," Sinha said.
"This is an area where there are differences in the perception of the LAC between the two sides," he said.
Government sources sought to play down the incident contending that India and China have a long border and such intrusions have taken place in the past since there were different perceptions of the LAC, both sides claiming certain areas to be belonging to their territory.
Sinha said the 1996 agreement between India and China on confidence building measures in the military field along the LAC in border areas contained a specific provision for the manner in which situations involving face-to-face contact bet!
ween personnel and patrols of the two sides were to be handled.
"In the case in question, these provisions do not appear to have been adhered to by the Chinese side. This matter has already been taken up through diplomatic channels and a response from the Chinese side is awaited," he said.
The minister said, "From time to time, on account of differences in the perception of the LAC, situations had arisen on the ground that could have been avoided if we had a common perception of the LAC".
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| (Source : Hindustantimes ) |
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