India-China standoff: US President Donald Trump says ‘willing to mediate’ to diffuse border dispute

India-China standoff: In the recent past, several areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh region and North Sikkim have witnessed a major military build-up by both the Indian and Chinese armies.

India-China standoff: US President Donald Trump has tweeted that the United States of America is willing to mediate in the current state of heightened tension between India and China, in order to diffuse the tension between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

In his tweet, US President Donald Trump said: “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!”

In the recent past, several areas along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in Ladakh region and North Sikkim have witnessed a major military build-up by both the Indian and Chinese armies.

The escalating tension between both Indian and Chinese armies has led to two separate face-offs.

The approximately 3,500-kilometre-long Line of Actual Control is the de-facto border between India and China. India has accused the Chinese side of hindering patrolling by the Indian Army along the LAC in Sikkim and Ladakh and quashed China’s accusations that the Indian troops trespassed across to the Chinese side.

India has always had a very responsible approach towards border management, the Indian Ministry of External Affairs said, adding that it was also deeply committed to protecting its sovereignty and security, PTI reported.

The MEA also added that all Indian activities were carried on its own side of the border.

MEA Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava was quoted by PTI as saying that any suggestion by the Chinese side that the Indian troops had carried out activities across the Line of Control in Sikkim or in the Western sector was inaccurate.

The MEA spokesperson further added that the Indian troops are completely familiar with the alignment of the Line of Actual Control in the India-China border areas and they abide by it scrupulously.

Previously, US President Donald Trump had also offered to mediate between India and Pakistan over the Kashmir issue, a proposal that was rejected by New Delhi as India has maintained that there’s no role for any third party interference in the bilateral issues.