India raises incursions issue with China

India today raised the issue of recent Chinese incursions at the official-level talks during which the two sides discussed ways to make working mechanisms more efficient with the possibility of additional confidence-building measures.

At the two-day meeting, measures were discussed to maintain peace and tranquility along the Line of Actual Control against the backdrop of concerns here over recent spurt in incursions by Chinese People Liberation Army.

"The talks were held in a constructive and forward-looking atmosphere," External Affairs Ministry spokesperson Syed Akbaruddin said at the conclusion of the third round of meeting of the Working Mechanism for Consultation and Coordination on India-China Border Affairs.

"The two delegations reviewed recent developments in the India-China border areas with the objective of enhancing peace and tranquility between the two countries," he said.

Sources, however, said the Indian side raised the issue of recent incursions by PLA troops in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir.

There has been a spate of incursions by Chinese troops in Ladakh region of Jammu and Kashmir, with five such incidents witnessed within a period of 11 days from July 12.

The two sides "discussed additional confidence building measures between the two sides. They also consulted on measures to improve the functioning of the Working Mechanism and make it more efficient," Akbaruddin said.

This was the first meeting on border mechanism since the three-week standoff in April at Depsang Valley in Ladakh. The Indian delegation was led by Gautam Bambawale, Joint Secretary (East Asia) and comprised representatives of the Ministries of External Affairs, Defence and Home Affairs as well as members of the Indian Army and the Indo-Tibetan Border Police.

The Chinese delegation was led by Ouyang Yujing, Director General, Department of Boundary and Oceanic Affairs, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and included representatives of the Ministries of Foreign Affairs and National Defence of the People's Republic of China.

The two sides also discussed possibility of additional route to Kailash Mansarover, a pilgrimage place which falls in Chinese territory. The traditional route via Uttarakhand was affected by recent floods.