New Delhi: Any kind of escalation from either side should be avoided on the border, China said on Friday (July 3), after Prime Minister Narendra Modi made a surprise visit to Leh and Ladakh and was briefed by senior officers in Nimu amid ongoing tensions with China.
"India and China are in communication and negotiations on lowering the temperatures through military and diplomatic channels. No party should engage in any action that may escalate the situation at this point," ANI quoted Zhao Lijian, Chinese Foreign Ministry spokesperson as saying.
PM Modi was accompanied by Chief of Defence Staff (CDS) General Bipin Rawat and Army Chief General Manoj Mukund Naravane. The PM reached Nimmoo early morning today and interacted with Army, Air Force and ITBP personnel. He is presently at one of the forward locations in Nimu where he interacted with personnel of the Army, Air Force and Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), official sources said.
He was briefed by senior Army officers on the situation at the LAC by officials.
Located at 11,000 feet, Nimu is among the toughest terrains, on the banks of river Indus, surrounded by Zanskar range and on the banks of the Indus.
Earlier today, Union Defence Minister Rajnath Singh thanked PM Modi for making a surprise visit to Ladakh amid border tensions with China and meeting the soldiers, saying that it has boosted the morale of the Indian Army.
Talking to Twitter, Singh said that the borders of the country have always been secure under the Indian Army. "The borders of the country have always been secure under the Indian Army. Prime Minister Narendra Modi visiting Ladakh to meet and encourage the soldiers has certainly boosted the morale of the Army. I commend the Prime Minister`s move and thank him for it," Singh tweeted in Hindi.
The situation at the India-China border in Ladakh remains tense after 20 Indian soldiers lost their lives in a violent face-off in the Galwan Valley on June 15-16 when Chinese troops attempted to unilaterally change the status quo during the de-escalation.
The two countries have been involved in military-level talks to ease the ongoing border tensions since last month.
