New Delhi: The Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) reacted to a recent Pentagon report stating that China has built a village along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in the eastern sector by stating that India has “always conveyed strong protests against such acts through diplomatic means and will continue to do so”.
Rajnath Singh to pay homage at Rezang La memorial
Defence Minister Rajnath Singh will pay homage at the Rezang La memorial in Eastern Ladakh on November 18. Rezang La saw an epic fight when the Indian Army held back the Chinese forces during the 1962 war.
Unjustified claim
We have taken note of the (Pentagon) report…India has never accepted occupation of territory by China and its unjustified claims. — Arindam Bagchi, MEA Spokesperson
“We have taken note of the report. The Chinese had undertaken construction in the past several years in border areas, including in areas it has illegally occupied over decades. India has neither accepted the occupation of territory by China nor accepted its unjustified claims,” said MEA spokesperson Arindam Bagchi when asked about the reports of a Chinese village in a disputed area in Arunachal Pradesh.
In response, India has stepped up border infrastructure, including the construction of roads, bridges, etc, which has provided much-needed connectivity to the local population along the border, said Bagchi.
“The government remains committed to the objective of improvement of livelihood of its citizens, including in Arunachal Pradesh,” said the MEA spokesperson, while pointing out that the Foreign Office had reacted similarly when the reports about this particular village had first appeared in January.