China softens stand on incursion row

China on Sunday took note of Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's remarks over PLA's (People Liberation Army) incursion into the Depsang Valley and said it is willing to work with New Delhi to iron out their differences while maintaining peace on the border and forging strategic co-operative partnership.

“We have noted Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's statement,” a Chinese foreign ministry said.

“The two sides have been in communication through the working mechanism for consultation and co-ordination on boundary affairs, border meetings and diplomatic channels for a solution to the incident in part of the western section of the China-India border,” the statement said.

According to the statement, the reaction was in response to a question over Singh's remarks that the Chinese troops’ incursion into the Depsang Valley in Ladakh could be settled through talks.

Singh said in New Delhi on Saturday that India did not want to “accentuate” the situation in the wake of the recent Chinese incursion in Ladakh and was working on a plan to resolve it.

China had denied that PLA soldiers had pitched tents in the Daulat Beg Oldi sector in Ladakh and the act amounted to trespass and violation of the line of actual control.
The statement said, “We stand ready to work together with India to properly deal with differences and maintain peace and tranquillity in the border areas in a bid to boost the healthy and stable development of China-India strategic and co-operative partnership.”

The two sides are currently trying to resolve the issue through the border consultation
mechanism inked last year even as External Affairs Minister Salman Khurshid is due visit Beijing on May 9, which officials said would be followed by new Chinese Premier Li Keqiang visit to New Delhi.