Premeditated action led to clash, will seriously impact ties: Jaishankar to Chinese counterpart

NEW DELHI: Premeditated and planned action by Chinese troops was directly responsible for the violence and casualties during the June 15 border clash and this unprecedented development would have a serious impact on bilateral relations, foreign minister S Jaishankar told his Chinese counterpart Wang Yi on Wednesday even as tensions simmered along the border.

Protesting in the strongest terms, Jaishankar said the need of the hour was for China to reassess its actions and take corrective steps. The interaction, the Indian foreign ministry said, concluded by both sides agreeing that the overall situation be handled in a responsible manner and to work to implement the disengagement understanding of June 6 sincerely. “Neither side would take any action to escalate matters and instead, ensure peace and tranquillity as per bilateral agreements and protocols,” the MEA said.

The foreign ministers spoke on phone to defuse the situation in what was their first conversation since the start of the latest round of border strife early last month. It wasn’t immediately clear who initiated the phone call but Jaishankar emphasised that ground commanders had met regularly to implement the consensus (over disengagement) throughout the last week.