San Francisco: Amid the ongoing border dispute between India and China, Chinese President Xi Jinping, who is visiting the United States, on Thursday said his country “has not provoked conflict or war, nor has it taken a single inch of foreign land.” He stressed: “In the 70 years or more since the founding of the People’s Republic, China has not provoked conflict or war, nor has it occupied a single inch of foreign land.” Xi Jinping made these remarks during a dinner on the sidelines of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) summit, several hours after a much-anticipated meeting with US President Joe Biden, where both leaders pledged to reduce tensions between the two countries.
The event was organized by the US-China Business Council and the National Committee on US-China Relations, and Xi’s remarks on the border dispute were closely watched, amid concerns over China’s tighter trade oversight and bilateral tensions. During the key meeting, United States President Joe Biden expressed concern about human rights abuses in China, including in Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong. “President Biden emphasized the universality of human rights and the responsibility of all nations to respect their international human rights obligations. He expressed concern about human rights violations in the PRC, including Xinjiang, Tibet, and Hong Kong,” the White House read.
Significantly, in 2020, Indian and Chinese troops engaged in a conflict in Galwan that coincided with the outbreak of the pandemic. Since May 2020, when Chinese troops attempted to forcefully change the status quo along the Line of Actual Control (LAC) in eastern Ladakh, both sides have maintained positions near Check Point 15. The site has become a flash point of tension following the Galwan clash. As of 2020, more than 50,000 Indian troops have been deployed at forward posts along the LAC, equipped with advanced weaponry to deter any unilateral attempts to change the status quo on the LAC.
Image Source: ANI News
