US ready to mediate Indo-Chinese border dispute: Donald Trump

Trump's announcement comes at a time when India has accused the Chinese military of hindering normal patrolling by its troops along the LAC in Ladakh and Sikkim.

US President Donald Trump on Wednesday evening tweeted that the United States is ready to mediate if India and China are willing to discuss the border dispute. 

Trump's announcement comes at a time when India has accused the Chinese military of hindering normal patrolling by its troops along the LAC in Ladakh and Sikkim. Beijing, on the other hand, had accused Indian soldiers of trespassing across the Chinese side.

"We have informed both India and China that the United States is ready, willing and able to mediate or arbitrate their now raging border dispute. Thank you!," he tweeted.

Chinese President Xi Jinping on Tuesday had ordered the military to scale up the battle preparedness, visualising the worst-case scenarios and asked it to resolutely defend the country's sovereignty. However, earlier today Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian had said the situation at the border with India is "overall stable and controllable," and both the countries have proper mechanisms and communication channels to resolve the issues through dialogue and consultation.

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"Between the two countries, we have good border-related mechanism and communication channels. We are capable of resolving the issues properly through dialogue and consultation," he said, confirming reports that the diplomatic efforts were on to ease the border tensions.

The nearly 3,500-km-long LAC is the de-facto border between the two countries.

The Ministry of External Affairs said all Indian activities were carried out on its side of the border, asserting that India has always taken a very responsible approach towards border management.

At the same time, it said, India was deeply committed to protect its sovereignty and security.

"Any suggestion that Indian troops had undertaken activity across the LAC in the Western sector or the Sikkim sector is not accurate.

Indian troops are fully familiar with the alignment of the Line of Actual Control in the India-China border areas and abide by it scrupulously," MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said at an online media briefing last week.

(With PTI inputs)