India-China border standoff: Chinese govt waves white flag, stresses on dialogue as Trump offers to mediate

On Wednesday, the India-China border standoff seemed to de-escalate as China took an apparently conciliatory tone by saying that the situation at the border with India is "overall stable and controllable." Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump offered to mediate.

The India-China border standoff took a new character on Wednesday as US President Donald Trump offered to mediate the "raging border dispute" even as China appeared to take a step back after weeks of aggression.

On Wednesday tensions between the two nations seemed to de-escalate as China took an apparently conciliatory tone by saying that the situation at the border with India is "overall stable and controllable."

The development came a day after Chinese President Xi Jinping ordered the military to scale up the battle preparedness and Indian Prime Minister Modi held a meeting with National Security Adviser Ajit Doval, Chief of Defence Staff General Bipin Rawat and the three service chiefs.

Here is all that happened:

SATELLITE IMAGES SHOW CHINESE MOVEMENT ON BORDER

As China issued a chilling warning to the world about a potential war, the latest satellite images indicate large military movements along the road near the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the Aksai Chin region, the part of Ladakh region occupied by Beijing since the 1962 conflict with India.

Fresh images from the European Space Agency show signs of movement in the Aksai Chin region as late as the third week of this month.

New structures seen in the imagery could be large troops or logistics movement by the Chinese People’s Liberation Army.

CHINESE FOREIGN MINISTRY BACKS DIALOGUE

In Beijing, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian said both China and India have proper mechanisms and communication channels to resolve the issues through dialogue and consultations.

Zhao said that China's position on the border-related issues is clear and consistent.

He said, "We are committed to safeguarding our territorial sovereignty and security, and safeguarding peace and stability in the border areas. Now the China-India border area situation is overall stable and controllable".

CHINESE AMBASSADOR INVOKES MUTUAL TRUST

China and India should never let their differences shadow the overall bilateral ties and must enhance mutual trust, Chinese Ambassador Sun Weidong to India said on Wednesday.

"China and India should be good neighbours of harmonious coexistence and good partners to move forward hand in hand. The realisation of 'Dragon and Elephant dancing together' is the only right choice for China and India, which serves the fundamental interests of our two countries and two peoples," he added.

TRUMP OFFERS TO MEDIATE 'RAGING' DISPUTE

In a surprise move, US President Donald Trump on Wednesday offered to "mediate or arbitrate" the raging border dispute between India and China, saying he was "ready, willing and able" to ease the tensions, amid the continuing standoff between the armies of the two Asian giants.

"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!" Trump said in an early morning tweet.

Trump is currently involved in a tense showdown with China on the issue of trade, the origins of the novel coronavirus pandemic, Beijing's new security crackdown in Hong Kong and the communist giant's aggressive military moves in the disputed South China Sea.

HOW CHINA DECEIVED INDIA AT THE BORDER

India Today TV has exclusive details of how China used subterfuge to up its presence in Ladakh.

China used troops that were engaged in a war game on the Chinese side and rushed them to the border with India in trucks used to ferry mud for an airbase project not far off from Indian areas.

Due to this heavy mobilisation of troops, the Chinese were able to spring a surprise for a short while as they gained numerical strength over the Indian security forces deployed in these areas.

Despite the initial setback, Indian forces have managed to plug in all the gaps in time and match the Chinese numbers.

INDIA WILL CONTINUE AGGRESSIVE POSTURING

Top commanders of the Indian Army on Wednesday carried out a comprehensive review of the situation in eastern Ladakh where Indian and Chinese troops are engaged in a tense standoff for over three weeks.

The commanders deliberated on the fast-evolving situation in eastern Ladakh as well as in strategically key areas along the de-facto Sino-India border in Uttarakhand and Sikkim on the opening day of a three-day conference in Delhi.

India-China standoff in Ladakh: Ground report from flashpoint

Military sources said Indian Army will continue to maintain its aggressive posturing in all disputed areas like Pangong Tso, Galwan Valley, Demchok and Daulat Beg Oldie in eastern Ladakh besides certain areas in Uttarakhand and North Sikkim.

NO ONE CAN STARE DOWN INDIA UNDER PM MODI: BJP

Amid the standoff between Indian and Chinese troops at the Ladakh border, the ruling BJP on Wednesday asserted that no country can stare down India under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Narendra Modi ke Bharat ko koi aankh nahi dikha sakta (No country can stare down PM Modi's India)," BJP leader and Union minister Ravi Shankar Prasad said in Hindi during a press conference.

TAKE COUNTRY INTO CONFIDENCE ON CHINA STANDOFF: CONG TO GOVT

The Congress on Wednesday said the standoff between the armies of India and China is a matter of serious national concern and urged the government to take the country into confidence and address the concerns of people.

"The Congress party urges the Government of India to take the nation into confidence to address the concerns of the people," former Union minister Anand Sharma said.

Former Congress president Rahul Gandhi had on Tuesday urged the government to be more transparent on the China border issue and come clear on what is happening at the border in Ladakh.

RUPEE SLIPS 5 PAISE ON US-CHINA TENSIONS

The rupee depreciated by 5 paise to settle at 75.71 against the US dollar on Wednesday due to concerns over rising tensions between the US and China amid coronavirus pandemic.

Forex traders said the rupee traded in a narrow range as positive domestic equities, rising optimism about a potential coronavirus vaccine and a revival of business activities were offset by a flare-up in the US-China tensions.

3 WEEKS OF STANDOFF, 60 YEARS OF TUSSLE

Several areas along the LAC in Ladakh and North Sikkim have witnessed major military build-up by both the Indian and Chinese armies recently, in a clear signal of escalating tension and hardening of respective positions by the two sides even two weeks after they were engaged in two separate face-offs.

According to military experts, the current standoff is the biggest one between the two armies after their 72-day long faceoff in Doklam in Sikkim sector in 2017 that had triggered fears of a war between the two nuclear-armed neighbours.

The situation in eastern Ladakh deteriorated after around 250 Chinese and Indian soldiers were engaged in a violent face-off on the evening of May 5 which spilt over to the next day before the two sides agreed to "disengage" following a meeting at the level of local commanders.

The Indian and Chinese army personnel clashed with iron rods, sticks, and even resorted to stone-pelting in the Pangong Tso lake area in which over 100 soldiers from both sides were injured.

The incident in Pangong Tso was followed by a similar incident in North Sikkim on May 9 when nearly 150 Indian and Chinese military personnel were engaged in a face-off near Naku La Pass in the Sikkim sector. At least 10 soldiers from both sides sustained injuries.

The Chinese side has been particularly peeved at India laying a key road in the Finger area of Pangong Tso Lake area beside another road connecting the Darbuk-Shayok-Daulat Beg Oldie road in Galwan Valley.

India last week said that it has always taken a very responsible approach towards border management but the Chinese military was hindering normal patrolling by its troops. It is learnt that both India and China are looking at a solution to the issue through talks.

The India-China border dispute covers the 3,488-km-long LAC. China claims Arunachal Pradesh as part of southern Tibet while India contests it.

Both sides have been asserting that pending the final resolution of the boundary issue, it is necessary to maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas.