China’s Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday that both India and China should maintain peace and stability along the border. The statement came a day after India’s Foreign Minister Sushma Swaraj said that India will take up the issue of alleged airspace violation by two Chinese helicopters.
Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson Hua Chunying reportedly said,”I think we should communicate and coordinate with each other through the border consultation mechanism to uphold peace and stability across the border.”
“I want to reiterate that China and India have disputes on their border. Chinese patrol guards have also conducted patrol,” she added.
Earlier on Monday, China defended the alleged incursion by two People’s Liberation Army choppers across the Indian boundary, saying Beijing could patrol in the disputed area.
Describing the flight by the choppers as “unacceptable”, Sushma Swaraj had said that New Delhi will take up the matter with Beijing.
The two Chinese military choppers were sighted hovering over Barahoti in Chamoli district on Saturday.
Since March this year, there have been four such incursions into the Indian airspace.
Barahoti was designated as disputed area by both China and India in 1958.
It was agreed that neither side would send troops in the area, which is a sloping pasture.