China rejects Trump's mediation offer to resolve border dispute with India, says both countries capable

The Chinese foreign ministry has said the two countries are capable of solving the issue through dialogue. China has rejected Trump’s mediation offer.

As Donald Trump once again repeated his offer to mediate between India and China to resolve the ongoing border standoff, the Chinese foreign ministry has said the two countries are capable of solving the issue through dialogue. China has rejected Trump’s mediation offer.

Chinese Foreign ministry spokesman Zhao Lijian made the comments at a daily briefing on Friday.

India has also said that it has engaged with China to peacefully resolve the border dispute. The reaction from External Affairs Ministry spokesperson came in a carefully crafted manner after US President Donald Trump offered to mediate between the two Asian giants to settle the ongoing conflict.

"We are engaged with the Chinese side to peacefully resolve it," External Affairs Ministry Spokesperson Anurag Srivastava said, replying to a volley of questions at an online media briefing. The brief reaction to the Trump’s mediation offer is seen as a virtual rejection of the proposal.

Earlier, US President Donald Trump said on Wednesday that he was "ready, willing and able to mediate" between India and China. "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," Trump said in a tweet.

He reiterated the offer again on Thursday soon after Chinese state media and MEA both hinted at the two countries rejecting Trump’s offer. Donald Trump said, “If they thought it would help if I were the mediator or arbitrator, I would do that.”

Donald Trump while speaking to reporters at the White House on Thursday said he spoke to PM Narendra Modi and that the PM was in a “bad mood” over the “big conflict” with China.

However, sources from the Modi government soon rejected Trump’s claims and said PM Modi last spoke to Donald Trump on April 4 and that too on the issue of hydroxychloroquine. Sources also said the two leaders never spoke on the dispute with China.

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