China denies incursion of troops in Arunachal Pradesh

China on Monday refuted reports of its troops crossing into Arunachal Pradesh saying that the Chinese military abides by the bilateral agreements reached with India concerning the Line of Actual Control (LAC).

“China’s position on the boundary question between India and China is consistent and clear. The boundary between the two sides is yet to be demarcated,” Geng Shuang, spokesperson of the Chinese foreign ministry said replying to question about reports of incursion by Chinese troops in Arunachal Pradesh on September 9.

“We are engaged in dialogue and consultation to properly address differences in this regard,” he said .

About the incursions, he said “the border troops of China always abide by agreements of the two sides and strictly follow the bilateral agreements concerning the LAC”.

“We hope the Indian side will work together with us to maintain peace and tranquillity in border areas and strive to resolve the boundary question at an early date,” he said.

While both sides in recent years have managed to reduce tensions between the troops patrolling the disputed areas with various mechanisms, China has not responded positively to India’s proposal to demarcate the 3,488km LAC to avoid border tensions.

The two countries have so far held 19 rounds of boundary talks led by special representatives.