Stand by ally India, LAC disputes must be resolved via bilateral channels: US

New Delhi, December 14

The US has, in response to the India-China border clashes in Arunachal on December 9, said it is committed to ensuring the security of its allies even as the neighbours must use bilateral channels to defuse border tension.

Pentagon calls out aggressive China

There is growing trend by China to assert itself and to be provocative in areas directed towards US allies and our partners in the Indo-Pacific. Pat Ryder, Pentagon Press Secretary

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“We continue to remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring the security of our partners. And we fully support India’s ongoing efforts to de-escalate this situation,” said Pentagon Press Secretary Pat Ryder.

The White House said it encouraged India and China to utilise the existing bilateral channels to discuss their disputed boundaries and “strongly opposed any unilateral attempts to advance territorial claims”.

US State Department spokesperson Ned Price also welcomed reports of quick disengagement after the clashes and said the US was monitoring the situation very closely and engaging with India. The Pentagon also said it continued to closely watch the developments along the Line of Actual Control and observed that “we have seen the PRC (People’s Republic of China) continues to amass forces and build military infrastructure along the LAC,” said Ryder.

“It does reflect though, and it’s important to point out the growing trend by the PRC to assert itself and to be provocative in areas directed towards US allies and our partners in the Indo-Pacific. And we will continue to remain steadfast in our commitment to ensuring the security of our partners. And we fully support India’s ongoing efforts to de-escalate this situation,” he said.

The clash last Friday was the first major confrontation between the Indian and Chinese armies since the Galwan valley face-off in June 2020. It was also the first major incident at the border after Chinese President Xi Jinping was re-elected for a third five-year term as general secretary of the Communist Party of China (CPC).

Both sides have held 16 rounds of military commander-level talks to resolve standoffs since the Galwan clash. “We are glad to hear that both sides appear to have quickly disengaged from the clashes. We are closely monitoring the situation,” said White House Press Secretary Karine Jean-Pierre. Meanwhile, the UN Secretary General’s office also urged “de-escalation and to ensure that the tensions did not grow”.