New Delhi: Rattled by US Secretary of State Mike Pompeo’s strong support for India, China has said in a statement that the “boundary question is a bilateral matter” and there is “no space” for a third party to intervene.
“The boundary question is a bilateral matter between China and India. The two sides have been discussing disengagement and de-escalation in the border areas through diplomatic and military channels. China and India have the wisdom and ability to handle their differences properly. There’s no space for a third party to intervene,” said a statement released by the Chinese Embassy.
The statement came after Pompeo had said in reference to the military stand-off in Ladakh that the US “will stand with India as it confronts threats to its sovereignty and liberty.”
Beijing said the development of bilateral ties between countries should not “infringe upon legitimate rights and interests of a third party” and should be conducive to regional peace, stability and development.
China also accused the US of pitching an Indo-Pacific strategy to maintain its dominance. “The ‘Indo-Pacific strategy’ proposed by the US is to stir up confrontation among different groups and blocs and to stoke geopolitical competition, in a bid to maintain the dominance of the US, organize closed and exclusive ideological cliques,” its statement said.
Pompeo arrived in India on Oct 26 along with Defense Secretary Mark T Esper for the third edition of the US-India 2+2 dialogue. (With NDTV inputs)
