India and China continue to use established diplomatic and military mechanisms to address unresolved border issues and prevent misunderstandings along the Line of Actual Control (LAC), the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) said on Friday, amid a controversy over the Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) chief's remarks about a continuing face-off in Arunachal Pradesh.
MEA spokesperson Randhir Jaiswal said the situation along the India-China border occasionally becomes disturbed when Chinese forces depart from established patrolling patterns.
He was responding to questions about ITBP Director General Shatrujeet Kapur's reported remarks concerning recent face-offs in Arunachal Pradesh.
Jaiswal emphasised that maintaining peace and tranquillity along the border remained essential for the broader relationship between New Delhi and Beijing.
"The two sides have also agreed to discuss ways to improve their understanding of the LAC in appropriate areas for better border management," he said.
He added that peace in the border areas was necessary for the overall development of bilateral relations.
๐๐ง๐๐ฃ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐ฒ๐ณ'๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ ๐๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ธ ๐ฟ๐ผ๐
The MEA's clarification came after Kapur reportedly referred to an ongoing face-off at multiple locations in Arunachal Pradesh while addressing personnel at a felicitation ceremony in Rajasthan's Alwar on Thursday.
According to a video clip circulated on social media, the ITBP chief said there had been a face-off at different locations in Arunachal Pradesh in recent days and that the situation was continuing.
He praised the force's elite Shaurya commando teams for their performance during the reported confrontations.
The ITBP, which guards the India-China border, initially shared footage of the address on social media but subsequently deleted it.
Kapur did not explicitly identify the opposing forces involved in the reported face-offs, although his remarks were made in the context of the ITBP's responsibilities along the India-China border.
๐๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ธ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐
The remarks triggered a political controversy, with Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh questioning the Centre over the situation in Arunachal Pradesh.
Ramesh accused the government of remaining silent on the reported confrontations and sought clarification about developments along the border.
He also referred to reports of a confrontation in the Taksin area of Arunachal Pradesh's Upper Subansiri district and raised concerns about access to patrolling points.
The Congress leader alleged that the government had not adequately explained the border situation despite the reported face-offs.
The Centre has previously rejected opposition allegations that it has compromised India's territorial interests in its dealings with China.
๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐๐บ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ
Reports of a standoff involving Chinese troops in the remote Taksin area have circulated since July.
Responding to questions about the border situation in August, Jaiswal had said India and China were using existing diplomatic and military channels to prevent misunderstandings and miscalculations.
Friday's statement reiterated that position, indicating that the two countries continue to rely on established mechanisms to manage differences along the disputed boundary.
India and China have sought to improve bilateral relations following an understanding reached in October 2024 to end a prolonged military standoff in eastern Ladakh.
The confrontation, which lasted more than four years, had severely strained diplomatic relations between the two countries.
Since then, New Delhi and Beijing have pursued measures to stabilise ties while continuing discussions on unresolved border issues.
However, the latest controversy over the ITBP chief's remarks has brought renewed attention to the situation in Arunachal Pradesh and the challenges of maintaining stability along the LAC.
The MEA did not provide specific operational details about the reported face-offs or confirm whether a fresh confrontation was continuing at the locations mentioned by the ITBP chief.