Soldiers from both sides clashed in a battle high up in the Himalayas that left dozens dead.
Additional details have emerged from the deadly clash between India and China along the long disputed Himalayan border on Monday. This incident has left officials on both sides trying to deescalate the situation.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi has made a statement about the violent clashes between the two armies that left 20 Indian soldiers dead. He said that India does not “instigate” and does not plan to compromise on its “integrity and sovereignty”.
In his statement Modi made a warning to China however, still left room for de-escalation. He said, “India wants peace, but if instigated, India at all costs is capable of giving an appropriate response.”No casualty figures have been reported from either side. Also Read- Indian and Chinese Armies Disengage at The Border
Moreover, the Chinese Foreign Ministry also made comments on the situation and warned India to “strictly control its frontline troops and immediately stop all provocative actions,” on Wednesday in a phone call with his Indian counterpart.
The Foreign Ministry further stated, “The Indian side must not misjudge the current situation and must not underestimate China’s firm will to safeguard territorial sovereignty.”
India is facing an economic crisis which has worsened by the coronavirus pandemic
India’s clash with China has come amidst two other border clashes of the country with Pakistan and Nepal. At this time the Indian government is facing an economic crisis and intense criticism for its mishandling of the pandemic. The country still has a slow increase in the number of infected patients and a total of 354,000 infections across the country.
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Alyssa Ayres, a senior member at the Council on Foreign Relations said, “the timing is just terrible all around. India is grappling with an economic crisis that began prior to but has been dramatically worsened by the coronavirus lockdown, and is still seeing a slow case increase so must face the public health implications, and now has live border problems with three countries: Pakistan, China, and Nepal.”
Modi called for a meeting on Friday to discuss the India-China border situation.
