BEIJING - China on Wednesday dismissed reports that an Indian Special Forces member was killed in border clash with People's Liberation Army (PLA) on Saturday night. "I don’t know what is your source based on. On my understanding, no Indian troops died along the border," Chinese Foreign Ministry's Spokesperson Hua Chunying said during a regular briefing.
"But I seem to see a Guardian report citing Indian media sources saying that an Indian soldier because of their own vehicle accident lost his life. I don’t know if you are referring to that," she added.
Responding to recent statements released by India’s Foreign Ministry and Defense Ministry that the Indian troops pre-empted Chinese attempt to change the status quo on the southern bank of Pangong Lake, she said, "You just said that the Indian side pre-empted China’s action. In China, we have a saying about a guilty mind protesting conspicuously he’s innocent. That’s what India did."
Hua Chunying said that showed that the Indian troops illegally crossed the Line in provocation and unilaterally changed the status quo and broke the two sides agreement and consensus. "And from the beginning of this year, the Indian army repeatedly broke consensus and agreements and unilaterally with force changed the status quo, destabilising the border region and causing tensions," she added. She said, "The responsibility lies entirely with Indian side," adding, China has exercised great restraint to avoid escalation, being communicating through diplomatic military channels.
China urged Indian side to discipline frontline troops, stop provocation, stop actions of illegal trespasses and stop actions leading to escalation and complication.
The spokesperson hoped India would work together with China for the same goal, implement the leaders’ consensus and the two sides agreements, and work with concrete actions to contribute to peace and tranquility along the border. To a question regarding Indian side claim that the casualty is a senior official who is of Tibetan origin and they have the best high altitude fighting capabilities, she said,
"But I noted that you mentioned in 1960s CIA and Tibetan in exile, you mentioned those words. These are though provoking. We need to think about the Tibetan issue, the ins and outs and role of the US."