No conversation took place between Modi and Trump over India-China standoff: Sources

As the tension escalates between the two nuclear-armed nations, India maintains that it is in touch with China at the local and diplomatic level.

After the United States President Donald Trump said that he had talked with Prime Minister Narendra Modi over the border dispute between India and China at the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, sources close to zee news said that no such conversation took place between the two heads of states.

According to sources, the last conversation between Trump and Modi happened on April 4, 2020, on the subject of hydroxychloroquine. It stated in no uncertain terms that there has been no recent contact between Modi and Trump over the border dispute.

"We have a big conflict going on between India & China, 2 countries with 1.4 billion people & very powerful militaries. India is not happy&probably China is not happy, I did speak to Prime Minister Modi, he is not in a good mood about what's going on with China.If they thought it would help if I were the mediator or arbitrator, I would do that: US President Donald Trump on being asked if he wants to mediate between India & China," Trump told the media in a press conference.

Sources further stated that the MEA is directly in contact with the Chinese through established mechanisms and diplomatic contacts to settle the issue in an amicable way.

In a tweet on Wednesday, Trump offered to mediate the "raging border dispute" between the two countries.

According to reports, Chinese troops have crossed into Indian territory along the 3,500-km-long LAC in Ladakh and North Sikkim. While the LAC is the de-facto border between India and China, there is no marked boundary or fencing along the line.

Several areas along the LAC have witnessed major military build-up by both the Indian and Chinese armies recently, including an incident of a scuffle between the troops earlier this month.

As the tension escalates between the two nuclear-armed nations, India maintains that it is in touch with China at the local and diplomatic level.

China has claimed that its troops were responding to construction activity by Indian forces while India has said the Chinese military was hindering normal patrolling by its troops along the LAC in Ladakh and Sikkim.

Rejecting China's claim of trespassing by Indian forces across the Chinese side, 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.

India was deeply committed to protect its sovereignty and security, it said.