Amid a diplomatic standoff between the two countries, China warned India that deploying more troops at the border is “not conducive to safeguarding peace and tranquility of the border areas”.
The statement comes amid reports that India has pulled around 10,000 personnel from the western border and deployed them at the border with China.
Adressing a press conference, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said, "India's move of strengthening military deployment along the border with China is counterproductive to the two countries' efforts to ease the situation at the border and not conducive to safeguarding peace and tranquility of the border areas."
Asserting that China is always committed to upholding peace and tranquility in the border areas, Mao Ning said India's actions “do not conform with common understandings reached by China and India on deescalating tensions in the border areas".
India and China have been in a military stand-off since the altercations in eastern Ladakh in 2020.
Times of India had reported that the Army wants to convert the Uttar Bharat (UB) Area based in Bareilly into an operational corps, to guard the middle sector of the 3,488-km line of actual control (LAC).
Interestingly, in February this year, India and China had held the 21st round Corps Commander level meeting at the Chushul-Moldo border to defuse tensions along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh, Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said in a statement.
"The 21st round of India-China Corps Commander Level Meeting was held at Chushul-Moldo border meeting point on 19th February 2024. The discussions built on the previous rounds, seeking complete disengagement in the remaining areas along the LAC in Eastern Ladakh as an essential basis for restoration of peace and tranquillity in the India-China border areas."
